as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
most of the applicants were befuddled by the wording of one of the questions on the driving test
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as in perplexing
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Recent Examples of befuddling
Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
That's why makes Seattle's decision to part ways with Martinez that much more befuddling.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddling
Verb
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But the immediacy around these conversations about the Titans are baffling to me.—
Nick Suss,
Nashville Tennessean,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The next morning, despite an extensive search of the ship, she could not be found, baffling the family, passengers and crew — and sparking an FBI investigation that is still currently open.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
On its face, this behavior is perplexing, presumptuous even.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Quantum mechanics was originally formulated to explain and predict the perplexing behaviors of atoms, molecules and subatomic particles.—
Zhixin Wang,
The Conversation,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The mystery is less about who’s involved in the game afoot, as alert audiences piecing together context clues will be immediately aware of those nefarious parties upon their introductions, and is more about the puzzling lengths the filmmakers go to in planting contrived red herrings.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
9 Oct. 2025
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This was particularly puzzling given that the program had highlighted other former players who had standout performances that same day, but the reason why quickly emerged.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
What is the most confounding and terrible, however, is Gretchen’s assertion that Slade, the anti-Viagra, doesn’t get involved with the women on his own accord, but only engages because the women always talk about him.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
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The offense’s struggles are the most confounding.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And aren’t our real-life romantic complications bewildering enough?—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Its ginormous investments in higher-value, tech-heavy sectors from smartphones to autos to semiconductors to biotechnology are disrupting the global landscape at bewildering speed.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Specifically the perimenopausal timeframe can be very confusing both to a clinician and a patient in the sense that there are a lot of symptoms that are hard to navigate and understand.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
15 Oct. 2025
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The twice-a-year clock change can be a bit confusing, especially to Arizonans who don't observe the practice.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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On top of this dismaying thought comes the realization that the AI is available 24x7 and at a low cost or perhaps even free.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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But the drum sound wasn’t nearly as dismaying as the studio’s piano, which kept slipping out of tune.—
Peter Ames Carlin,
Rolling Stone,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The result was a disconcerting 31-28 loss that relegated the Chiefs to 2-3 and leaves us to question anew just who and what this team is.—
Chris Ochsner,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
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Overall, more disconcerting for staffers at the network are Paramount’s plans for significant layoffs later this year.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befuddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddling. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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