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
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
The segment was typically a rapid- fire four- minute crash through the weekend soccer headlines— a conversation between me and Joe— with the rest of the regular political pundits looking on in a bemused silence.
—Roger Bennett, Fortune, 2 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
His bemused reaction quickly morphed into something more instructive.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
The segment was typically a rapid- fire four- minute crash through the weekend soccer headlines— a conversation between me and Joe— with the rest of the regular political pundits looking on in a bemused silence.
—Roger Bennett, Fortune, 2 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
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This sometimes left audience members bewildered about what had actually happened.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 Apr. 2026
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The passenger in the back eventually looked up from her phone, noticed Louise, and locked eyes with this bewildered-looking woman blocking the crosswalk.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Board Member Marc Willensky said he was intrigued by the Exploring AI course so that students can learn the risks and proper uses of artificial intelligence as a tool.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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At the same time, Maul is also intrigued by the prospect of recruiting a new apprentice, a Jedi Padawan named Devon.—
Rafael Motamayor,
IndieWire,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There are, however, many lacunae in Paul’s writing and life that have puzzled readers.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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But how Bhuva's name came to be listed on reimbursements for at least 2,800 patients across 126 California hospices in 2024 is a question that has puzzled advocates who have tracked the unusual explosion of hospice providers in Southern California in recent years.—
Grace Manthey,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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No one is immune to the lampooning, even the dazed and confused sons and daughters who get sidelined and pawned off due to their parents’ ambitions, neuroses and desires to achieve greatness.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
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The boyfriend is dead and Betty helps Laura, relatively unharmed but dazed, back to her house.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That’s what interested us as well.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
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These stories are not only fun to read, but also provide valuable information about ideas that interested early Christians.—
Christy Cobb,
The Conversation,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Late Show host appeared genuinely baffled by the president’s current poll numbers during his opening monologue on Tuesday, mostly due to the 22 percent of Americans who are still throwing their support behind the 79-year-old former reality star.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Apr. 2026
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No one, not even Jason — who is baffled at the galley’s sudden collapse — is more surprised at Ellie’s outburst than Ben.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For obvious reasons, the name (and how to pronounce it) immediately confused fans of the couple.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
11 Apr. 2026
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However, his revelations added additional layers of complications rather than actually pointing towards who was responsible for Floyd's death, leaving detectives Donoghue Homer (Richard Jenkins) and Jodie Plumb (Joy Sunday) even more confused.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Older kids might be fascinated by the artists sketching portraits, while little ones can take in the sights from a stroller.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
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The history of theater fascinated me too.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bemused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemused. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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