1
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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
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 bemuse
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
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 bemuse
Verb
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
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 bemuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bemuse
Adjective
-
Connie is bewildered but happy about this.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
-
This sometimes left audience members bewildered about what had actually happened.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In his emotional breakdowns, Elliott buckles under his testy relationship with his mother Lynn and then wanders through gatherings and parties with a perpetually dazed expression.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
Shaknovsky, 44, appeared confused as deputies pulled him from the car and handcuffed him at a busy intersection in Miramar Beach, Florida, the video shows.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
-
At the first sight of a passenger’s confused look in front of an elevator, a crew member will step in to offer assistance.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The video, which garnered more than 750,000 likes, drew thousands of comments from stunned viewers.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Camavinga looked stunned, his teammates furious, and the referee was left dealing with protests from all angles.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
SpaceX, the dominant player in the burgeoning commercial space market, is running behind on its huge lunar lander and is more distracted than ever with an initial sale of shares to the public that could raise as much as $75 billion.—
Thomas Black,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Experts say large gatherings — from Fiesta events to packed Spurs watch parties — can create the kind of close-quarters environment where bad actors may try to take advantage of distracted crowds.—
Jacob Beltran,
San Antonio Express-News,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bemuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemuse. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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