as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
an expression of utter bemusement
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Recent Examples of bemusement
But Lee is the kind of crusader who inspires more bemusement than admiration from those around him.
—
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Hanks plays it with just the right amount of bemusement.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Apatow tells the story of walking into Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment circa 1983 and seeing the bemusement on Seinfeld’s face.
—Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Earlier, the president reacted with a degree of bemusement.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
The ball caromed to the backstop and Andy Pages scored as Pedro Pages looked around in bemusement.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 6 Aug. 2025
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Hanks plays it with just the right amount of bemusement.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Apatow tells the story of walking into Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment circa 1983 and seeing the bemusement on Seinfeld’s face.
—Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Earlier, the president reacted with a degree of bemusement.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
The ball caromed to the backstop and Andy Pages scored as Pedro Pages looked around in bemusement.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bemusement
Noun
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First, your confusion is kind of the point ‒ today's slang is part of an ever-changing lexicon that separates the young from the young-at-heart.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
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The Department of Homeland Security has detained hundreds of TPS holders from Venezuela nationwide, creating confusion about how the protections are being applied.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Mercury’s retrograde ends on the 7th and will help clear up any misunderstandings or mental fog that have kept you stuck in the wrong dynamics for too long.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
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But as early as 1892, scientists have noted that tiny droplets of water in the air can be positively or negatively charged in situations such as waterfall spray or fog.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Other residents in the neighborhood have expressed their bewilderment over the incident.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
17 Sep. 2025
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However, Anne just shrugs in bewilderment.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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There are black-and-white scenes from what appears to be a cracked Biblical drama featuring a levitating monk and, to the particular bafflement of the producer, a dancing Pulcinella.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
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If the book’s prismatic structure and subjective immediacy feel baffling to encounter, that is because bafflement is the point.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bemusement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemusement. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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