BEWILDERED Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words

bewildered 1 of 2

adjective

bi-ˈwil-dərd

Definition of bewildered

as in dazed

suffering from mental confusion the bewildered child wandered aimlessly around the playground

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bewildered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of bewilder

as in puzzled

to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the change in policy seems to have bewildered many of our customers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 bewildered

Adjective

Five successive heat waves this year and a lack of any significant rainfall in London since June have left the city — and much of the country — stultified and bewildered. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026 Saturday will be Simpson’s first chance to make an impression on fans – some of whom were left bewildered by his selection, considering the ever-rock-solid standing of Stafford. — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 2026

Verb

Former Republican state senator Jeff Brandes, who now leads the Florida Policy Project, said he was bewildered by the governor's proposal. — Jim Defede, CBS News, 31 May 2026 Gasly seems faintly bewildered by the designation. — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bewildered

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bewildered

Adjective

Hsu maps a Los Angeles of leftovers and castoffs; portraits of friends and strangers in the street are full of dazed, inscrutable expressions.

— Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
When the dazed young woman reels off quotes from an obscure self-help book, her new acolytes take her words as gnomic wisdom.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of dazed

Verb

Researchers have been puzzled by the intricacies of the genome, especially noncoding DNA—the 98 percent of DNA that doesn’t code for specific proteins but still plays a major role in the body’s function.

— Peter Hall, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2026
Authorities were puzzled but eventually determined a leading cause.

— Betsy Joles, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of puzzled

Verb

Her unconventional breakdancing moves during her final performance against Lithuania’s Dominika Banevič (B-Girl Nicka) baffled audiences at home and cemented her as a meme royalty.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Host Kara Robinson Chamberlain, a true crime influencer, kidnapping survivor and former law enforcement officer, investigated the killing that has baffled Liz's family, friends and the community for seven years.

— Curran Rastogi, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of baffled

Adjective

So stunned was Sarkisian that the 52-year-old coach completely forgot how to form big-boy words with his mouth.

— Candace Buckner, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Fernández’s adaptation is anxious to turn tragedy into a sermon, offering theatergoers moral solace where Sophocles leaves his audience in a contemplative state of stunned silence.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of stunned

Adjective

In the moment, however, Martins imbues tremendous intrigue through snippets of the seemingly distracted middle-aged driver, Wesley (Renato Novaes), and eventually, through the crash itself.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 Sep. 2026
Following instructions from the kidnappers (unbeknownst to his increasingly agitated comrades), Lee drives out to meet them for the exchange, only to wreck his car and become distracted saving a nearby woman, Hua (Moon Lee).

— Jake Cole, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of distracted

Adjective

Several other instances of illness linked to the MBG program have cropped up, including a group of 15 elementary schoolers and a school principal who became nauseous and dizzy after a meal in the Aceh province’s Bener Meriah regency, per the AP.

— Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026
Most patients feel dizzy, nauseated and weak within 30 to 60 minutes.

— Prayan Pokharel, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of dizzy

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bewilder

bewildered

bewilderedness

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“Bewildered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bewildered. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of bewildered

adjective

verb

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