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
Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
When Anisimova lost the Queen’s final last month to 37-year-old Tatyana Maria, she was totally bemused by the German’s cat and mouse tactics.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Max Gao, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2025
Audiences bemused, delighted, hoodwinked theatrically, hoodwinked for real.
—Anne Carson, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bemused
Adjective
The bemused cat owner couldn't resist sharing Luna's mischief on TikTok (@megs.amanda) with a video showing the paw print in one of the cookies.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
When Anisimova lost the Queen’s final last month to 37-year-old Tatyana Maria, she was totally bemused by the German’s cat and mouse tactics.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Verb
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
See All Example Sentences for bemused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bemused
Adjective
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Everybody seems bewildered by this news, his own wife most of all.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Layered in cream, bruised, bewildered, bald.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The news, at the time, intrigued the fashion world.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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Hanna When Kirsten Becken first reached out to me about joining the Femxphotographers collective, I was both flattered and intrigued.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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From Scepticism to Confidence In my discussions, executives often admit being puzzled about how to approach AI.—
London School of Economics,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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The move has puzzled many since ending the program would bar every company, including oil firms, from accessing federal subsidies for capturing carbon or producing hydrogen fuel.—
Natasha Bracken,
semafor.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The same woman who used to have fun behind her camera now seems sleepy, dazed, and even drugged.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
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Some seemed visibly dazed to suddenly be back in their homeland.—
Patrick Oppmann,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Carney said his and Jerome’s first trip to Finland interested two companies in Mooresville.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Sep. 2025
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What interested me about Warren’s book was the emotional honesty and the intimacy of an artist that most people didn’t realize was going through one of the most painful times of his life.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement Advertisement But days after the shooting, authorities have yet to discover a coherent motive for the killing of Kirk—the founder of Turning Point USA and a popular figure on the American right—and experts on extremism are similarly baffled by the possible motivations.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
13 Sep. 2025
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The result is a set of policies that has baffled some China experts, or at least raised questions about the president’s stance on America’s friendly rival.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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An increasing number of boys are lonely, isolated and confused, wrestling with the aftermath of the #MeToo movement and the expectations of rigid masculinity, which has been widely characterized as toxic.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
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The young men in Bruins blue and gold staggering off the field afterwards dazed, confused.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Molina, who is fascinated by silver screen legend Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), distracts himself and Valentín with a recounting of his favorite film of hers — The Kiss of the Spider Woman.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
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That kind of content always fascinated me, both sides of it, actually, the victimology and the perpetrator’s perspective.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bemused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemused. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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