Synonym Chooser

How does the verb bewilder differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bewilder are confound, distract, dumbfound, nonplus, perplex, and puzzle. While all these words mean "to baffle and disturb mentally," bewilder stresses a confusion of mind that hampers clear and decisive thinking.

a bewildering number of possibilities

Where would confound be a reasonable alternative to bewilder?

The meanings of confound and bewilder largely overlap; however, confound implies temporary mental paralysis caused by astonishment or profound abasement.

the tragic news confounded us all

When would distract be a good substitute for bewilder?

In some situations, the words distract and bewilder are roughly equivalent. However, distract implies agitation or uncertainty induced by conflicting preoccupations or interests.

distracted by personal problems

When might dumbfound be a better fit than bewilder?

While the synonyms dumbfound and bewilder are close in meaning, dumbfound suggests intense but momentary confounding; often the idea of astonishment is so stressed that it becomes a near synonym of astound.

was at first too dumbfounded to reply

When is it sensible to use nonplus instead of bewilder?

Although the words nonplus and bewilder have much in common, nonplus implies a bafflement that makes orderly planning or deciding impossible.

the remark left us utterly nonplussed

When can perplex be used instead of bewilder?

The synonyms perplex and bewilder are sometimes interchangeable, but perplex adds a suggestion of worry and uncertainty especially about making a necessary decision.

a behavior that perplexed her friends

In what contexts can puzzle take the place of bewilder?

The words puzzle and bewilder can be used in similar contexts, but puzzle implies existence of a problem difficult to solve.

the persistent fever puzzled the doctor

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bewilder These reactions are just the tip of the iceberg, as the football world continues to be bewildered at Sanders being available heading into the fourth round on Saturday. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2025 Across the street, her husband Steve, who nursed Molly through her first fight with breast cancer a few years earlier, sits bewildered in the office of their couples therapist. Judy Berman, Time, 27 Mar. 2025 Carlie thinks the whole thing is hilarious, and Chelsea remains bewildered by any King Cake Baby obsession. Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 20 Feb. 2025 That’s all bewildering plot-wise, but Morrison also bewilders readers through language. The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bewilder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bewilder
Verb
  • Many observers were perplexed that an eighty-two-year-old man with virtually unlimited access to medical care—and about whose health there has been virtually unlimited conjecture—could have gone undiagnosed until the cancer threatened his life.
    Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
  • Social-media users were undoubtedly perplexed by the bone discovery, leading to more than 860 comments on the Instagram video.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • All of the footage from The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon makes the show-within-a-show look silly, which the series confuses with humorousness.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
  • While no one should ever have confused the entertainment business with a warm binkie, the institutions themselves are in the new and awkward spot of having to justify their existence.
    Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • Some were baffled by Perry’s dancing and said the show looked cheap.
    Courtney Lane, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2025
  • The complexities of her character mirrored in her stony, resentful stare, in her grim, unforgiving mouth, will always baffle and enthrall.
    E.R. Zarevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2025
Verb
  • That drop has puzzled the Dodgers and the right-hander alike.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 14 May 2025
  • Listen to this article In 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery merged HBO Max and Discovery+ into a single streaming app called Max, with the puzzling decision to remove the HBO from the streaming app’s brand.
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bewilder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bewilder. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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