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bewildering 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of bewilderingnext
as in perplexing

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Dissimilar Words

bewildering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bewilder
as in baffling
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 bewildering
Adjective
Over the last few months, Instagram has added a slew of features that are helpful for creators, but that might seem slightly bewildering to everyone else. — Mia Sato, The Verge, 21 July 2026 The act behind the most bewildering ambient techno of the past 15 years is not a shadowy syndicate or group of evil geniuses. — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026
Verb
There aren’t many ways to earn a club’s first win better than bewildering the league’s defending champions at their place. — Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026 McNutt housed some 700 kids — about one-third of the population of French Lick — and Bird found the campus outside the dormitory walls bewildering. — Keith O'Brien, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bewildering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bewildering
  1. perplexing
  2. baffling
  3. confusing
  4. puzzling
  5. confounding
  6. muddled
  7. frustrating
  8. disorganized
Adjective
  • Director Darren Aronofsky’s chilly mind-bender is mesmerizing, terrifying and perplexing in equal measure.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The messages, which NPR has obtained and authenticated, are perplexing.
    — NPR, NPR, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of perplexing
Verb
  • Their admirable determination makes Diamantis’ flight from the United States baffling for us and humiliating for them.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The sequel, on the other hand, is shaped by baffling decisions from director Susanne Bier and cinematographer Simon Duggan that render the film antiseptic.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of baffling
Adjective
  • Here, those extra voices vastly outnumber the two main characters, leading to a profusion of confusing subplots that stray away from the main themes.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Vaccines increasingly feel like a high-stakes decision – but with increasingly confusing and contradictory public health information.
    — Jennifer Reich, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • The answer involves two puzzling sets of teeth, fake saliva — and some personal experimentation.
    — Pien Huang, NPR, 19 Sep. 2026
  • In patients with post-herpetic neuralgia, while the shingles rash has cleared with seemingly normal-looking skin, skin biopsies show a puzzling reduction in sensory nerve fibers in the painful areas.
    — Andrew Bubak, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of puzzling
Adjective
  • Its study of dark matter and dark energy could also give scientists new insights into two of the most confounding puzzles in astronomy.
    — Denise Chow, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Grief is one of the most confounding aspects of the human experience.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of confounding
Adjective
  • Garfield, sensitive and earthy, is our bellwether as the events descend into bloody carnage dictated by muddled agendas.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Be sure to order the Horse Thief cocktail, whose proceeds support Barb Philipps’ Saving Gracie Foundation, mixed from Casamigos Tequila, High West Campfire Scotch Blend Whisky, chartreuse, ginger syrup, muddled blackberries, and lime.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of muddled
Adjective
  • For general appreciators, the series’ excesses and redundancies are likely to be frustrating, as are its frequent lack of focus and general sense of over-sanitization.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Indeed, Infiniti’s wide-eyed portrait of a prodigy is equal parts inspired and frustrating.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of frustrating
Adjective
  • After our march onto the field, our platoon retreated and became disorganized.
    — Brooke LaMantia, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Those who managed to secure release under habeas corpus brought back accounts of harrowing, disorganized odysseys through an ad-hoc mass-detention bureaucracy.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of disorganized

Browse Nearby Words

bewilderedness
bewildering
bewilderment
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Cite this Entry

“Bewildering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bewildering. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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