1
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
2
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
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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
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
-
That’s a cheap and easy analogy, but that’s what interested me to want to make this show.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
-
What interested you in the character initially?—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The narrator and his wife find that their attachment to the charismatic and cryptic Chibi grows with the cat’s increasing visits, in a way that bewilders them but somehow bonds them closer together.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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Similarly, the defensively bewildering 9-6 loss the Wild suffered to start Round 2 in Colorado set the tone for five games that would ultimately be their undoing.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The Chicago Outerbelt, a 210-mile trail that encircles the city, intrigued our copy editor.—
Diane Penningroth,
Midwest Living,
12 June 2026
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We were intrigued, to say the least, along with over 300 other commenters.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Aryna Sabalenka being asked to dance after defeating Naomi Osaka in the French Open has one former American tennis star perplexed.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
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Democrats have been particularly perplexed given the state's top-two primary system, which places all candidates on a single ballot regardless of party.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Because people's feelings, passions, and motivations have always fascinated me.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
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By the time Jackie arrived at Buckingham Palace for her first meeting with the Queen in June 1961 during her husband's presidency, she had long been fascinated by royalty.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Some women who filed lawsuits against Ortega reported they had been confused about whether demeaning or uncomfortable actions the doctor engaged in during exams was within the bounds of necessary medical behavior.—
Emily Hoerner,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
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Cancers can release this protein into the tumor microenvironment, where the molecule attaches to the T cells and change their ability to communicate with other cells, confusing the T cells and restricting their ability to survive and kill cancer.—
Charles J. Dimitroff,
The Conversation,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Fahed Rahal said soccer occupies a unique place within Algerian culture, serving as a source of identity and connection across generations.—
J.M. Banks
June 15,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
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Siebel Newsom, 51, has occupied a higher profile position compared to spouses of other state leaders.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
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New York Knicks radio broadcaster Tyler Murray was baffled Wednesday night.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
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Social media is thick with ex-players baffled that their years in uniform count for so little with modern decision-makers.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bemuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemuse. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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