BEMUSE Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

bemuse

verb

bi-ˈmyüz

Definition of bemuse

as in to interest

to hold the attention of a public that seemed more bemused by the shenanigans of celebrities than by a war being waged half a world away

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to bewilder

to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the stage mishap momentarily bemused the actress

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bemuse Needless to say, Ben Shelton (who ended up winning the men’s event) and his opponent Karen Khachanov were bemused by the interruption. — Max Gao, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2025 Audiences bemused, delighted, hoodwinked theatrically, hoodwinked for real. — Anne Carson, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2025 Cue a wave of gags in which Hank is bemused by everything from boba to hybrid-car engines to all-gender bathrooms. — Genevieve Koski, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2025 Kylie — who was also in attendance at the taping, appeared utterly bemused by the life-sized re-creation of her children’s drawing. — Toria Sheffield, People.com, 18 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bemuse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bemuse

Verb

The serious question of, frankly, human survival did not seem to interest them at all.

— Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Cranor said a person’s risk depends on how often they are targeted, their security habits, their ability to recognize suspicious messages, and whether the lure really interests them.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of interest

Verb

Latif is conflicted by his double life, bewildered by his doubling of parental responsibilities, constantly trying to think two moves ahead yet always ending up three steps behind.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Dan emerges as Primetime’s unlikely heart, bewildered by the dark world he’s wandered into and left to negotiate his ambitions with the high stakes of the job.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of bewilder

Verb

When Brazilian pop star Giulia Be first saw a photo of Conor Kennedy, she was immediately intrigued.

— Alexandra Macon, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026
His decade spent working in sci-fi and his upbringing in his British seaside town of Bridlington had Heaton instantly intrigued.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of intrigue

Verb

California‘s seven Supreme Court justices appeared by turns perplexed by and incredulous of those theories during oral arguments last month.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
They were perplexed at first, flummoxed, but pleasant, and unfortunately for them, already long gone from the airport.

— Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of perplex

Verb

In 2008, passionate surfer Tim Russo purchased the property, renamed it, and set out to organically grow it into a resort full of wonder where serious surfers and travelers fascinated with the surf lifestyle could vacation happily.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
Interest is heightened when royal stories cover Princess Diana, who was one of the most famous women in the world, with people fascinated by her life.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of fascinate

Verb

Not far away, armed men had been occupying makeshift barricades, blocking roads and turning some drivers away.

— Dan Raby, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Three women sit in front of me, each one occupying a salon chair in a tiny room with a single shampoo bowl, and one window that faces a bare, enclosed courtyard with yellowing grass.

— Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of occupy

Verb

Beyond being frustrated with the secrecy, locals said they were baffled by the lack of specifics and clarity the stakeholders had about the project, per the records.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
And just last month, officials in Millcreek, Utah, were baffled to find an unknown camera installed on city property that neither the city nor police requested.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of baffle

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“Bemuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemuse. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bemuse

verb

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