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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bemused
Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 17 Dec. 2025
His facial expressions are often pained or bemused.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
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
When the lights finally dimmed 45 minutes later, Safdie took the front of the theater after an affectionate introduction from Sacco, giving a somewhat bemused apology about the delay before diving into his remarks.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 17 Dec. 2025
His facial expressions are often pained or bemused.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
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
-
Olivier tried successfully to get the reader to understand how a gentle, pacific young man could come to kill more than a thousand people, and so capturing the tone and empathetic portrayal not only of Simo Häyhä and his colleagues but also of the often-bewildered Russian soldiers was essential.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The usually positive Gauff went negative, lacked energy and seemed bewildered and overwhelmed.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Fletcher was intrigued — there are plenty of ticket buyers out there who want to relive their Hi Infidelity days — until the contract revealed itself to be a bit duplicitous in nature.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
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For several months, a mysterious sign displayed in the windows of vacant storefront in Shorewood has intrigued passersby along Capitol Drive.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
He was puzzled by friends who bought band T-shirts and obsessed over concerts.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Store employees were puzzled about any alleged involvement with El Primo.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Still, some songs can disrupt our dazed habit of barely listening and give us something to participate in.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2026
-
But plenty of people tell of being left dazed and destabilized by ayahuasca ceremonies and struggling to return to their previous lives; some make sudden life changes that only bring distress and further trauma.—
Mattha Busby,
Rolling Stone,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Things that interested me as a child, as a teenager and as a young adult still interest me.—
Peter Larsen,
Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
What interested me from the very start was a certain fundamental clash of cultures that the crime seemed to have exposed.—
Scott Eden,
Rolling Stone,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Yet Howe, his coaches and recruitment staff were baffled by such early criticism.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Even Proctor’s defense attorney seemed baffled by the district attorney’s office’s handling of the case.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Many people are confused because they’ve been placed in a new district.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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What’s troubling about the drop in vaccination rates, however, is that confused — and at times contradictory — public debate around vaccines has almost certainly driven that decline.—
Josh M. Shepherd,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That classic capitalist disconnect — the alienation of the worker from their labor — fascinated him, and gave him the confidence that his premise would have universal resonance.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Feb. 2026
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This is Taymor’s first production to embark on a national tour, and she’s been fascinated by the range of audience responses.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bemused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemused. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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