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

Short trips and conversations with daily contacts, siblings and relatives will interest you.

— Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 10 Aug. 2026
But what really interested us with this movie was trying to understand the humanity and searching for and exploring the love and the loyalty to characters to have a dialogue with an audience and not do it for the sake of ego or shock.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of interest

Verb

Fersko-Weiss had a friend who’d recently become a birth doula, and the concept intrigued him.

— Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
When Kansas City launched a program to help local businesses fill vacant storefronts during the FIFA World Cup, Béty Lê Shackelford was intrigued.

— Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of intrigue

Verb

Gibson Nash, 21, was charged with first-degree murder after a series of perplexing events eventually led police to his mother’s bloodied body.

— Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
The Brazil midfielder has expressed a desire to join Arsenal, but Newcastle did not want to sell him this summer and have been perplexed by the lack of direct contact from the London club.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of perplex

Verb

Wuest was also fascinated by the themes explored by the film, and couldn’t help but notice parallels to our current moment.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
The ongoing sagas of Getz and Hoyer, two executives who got their jobs the old-school Chicago way — with no bothersome hiring searches conducted by their bosses — are ones that continue to fascinate me.

— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of fascinate

Verb

The Studio Behind The Technology Annapurna Studios (not to be confused with the Megan Ellison-founded Annapurna Pictures in Hollywood) has been a cornerstone of Indian cinema for half a century.

— Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
But there is the risk that his strategy will backfire by confusing investors.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of confuse

Verb

Israeli forces currently occupy more than half of Gaza, in the east and south of the territory.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Some occupy the farmhouses on the lower slope, overlooking the cobbled courtyard and Mediterranean herb gardens, while others are slightly further up and offer panoramic views of the Panzano valley.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of occupy

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“Bemuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemuse. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of bemuse

verb

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