as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion
new federal regulations that the easily bemused should make no attempt to read and understand
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in intrigued
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in puzzled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the stage mishap momentarily bemused the actress
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bemused
Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
His bemused reaction quickly morphed into something more instructive.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for bemused
Adjective
Auriemma watched the chaos unfold wearing a bemused smirk.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
His bemused reaction quickly morphed into something more instructive.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
Bayern’s players were also bemused by the decision not to award a very late spot kick to them for handball.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for bemused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bemused
Adjective
-
Kelli cries over how solid the Mwangi unit is, praising Gerald as a father and husband and affirming that Shamea’s ass is real, while everyone else looks on, bewildered.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
-
Karl-Anthony Towns, who was on the podium with him, took off his glasses and looked at his teammate with a bewildered expression.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
And then the story of Maciel came around, and his story intrigued me tremendously.—
Helen Acevedo,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
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Although the article’s author branded Müller’s machine an obvious hoax, Feaster was intrigued.—
Ron Cowen,
Scientific American,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The Braves swapped out catchers Thursday, a move that puzzled some fans because there wasn’t a clear explanation.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
5 June 2026
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Although new pieces of evidence continue to surface daily, none have provided any credible leads, leaving investigators and the public puzzled.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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This led to a surreal sight at 5-0 in the fourth set, with Safiullin flat on his back receiving treatment for a hip injury while a dazed Ruud tried to revive himself with an ice towel.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
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Moments later, dazed residents staggered out as others rushed in to help.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
Verb
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To my surprise, that interested him—most men wouldn’t have wanted to hear about it.—
Joyce Johnson,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
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Around the same time, Barwick and his then-student, Peter Haine, independently came up with a slightly different definition in order to answer a particular question in category theory that interested them.—
Konstantin Kakaes,
Quanta Magazine,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Cannonball Concretions Perfectly round rock formations in the North Unit baffled scientists for years.—
Julia Sayers Gokhale,
Midwest Living,
1 June 2026
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While some were baffled by the posts amid Bear’s claims, others pointed out the ability to schedule posts, depending on the type of account.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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After analyzing everything from Substack posts to my group chats, my hottest take is that everyone is simply confused.—
Irene Richardson,
InStyle,
6 June 2026
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The man didn’t appear to make contact with any of the players during his few seconds on court, with replays showing Wembanyama smiling and looking confused.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Jim Jacoby, another Atlanta developer, was also fascinated by the Atlantic Steel property, leading their paths to intersect.—
Kelly Yamanouchi,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
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He was fascinated by Fey's scar When Fey was 5 years old, she was attacked by a stranger while outside of her home in Upper Darby, Penn.—
Desiree Ossandon,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bemused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemused. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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