as in perplexing
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as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the change in policy seems to have bewildered many of our customers
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bewildering
Outside, 20 Feb. 2026
The whole conversation is absolutely bewildering.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Keith O'Brien, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2026
Even a principled, well-meaning actor like Claude could face bewildering ethical conflicts.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bewildering
Adjective
That’s why his disappearance was so bewildering to his family and friends.
—Outside, 20 Feb. 2026
The whole conversation is absolutely bewildering.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
Even a principled, well-meaning actor like Claude could face bewildering ethical conflicts.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bewildering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bewildering
Adjective
-
Mamdani’s revenue estimates look realistic rather than usefully bleak; notwithstanding his perplexing series of revisions, the gap appears to be real.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The craze is perplexing to parents, but Bennett said the Hornets have embraced it to bring joy to young people.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Though still fuming from his team’s baffling loss to the Bulls – the Warriors squandered an eight-point lead with 91 seconds remaining – Kerr found his composure long enough to crack a joke.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Georgia basketball’s matchup with Tennessee ended in baffling fashion Wednesday night.—
Olivia Sayer,
AJC.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Things got even more confusing when make-up artist Alexis Stone posted a picture of a prosthetic on Instagram alongside photos of Carrey at the awards show.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
5 Mar. 2026
-
For people who deal with a parent with addiction issues, that can be really confusing and painful.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The instinct to head back to a war zone may seem puzzling, but the reality on the ground generally isn’t as dire as the headlines suggest.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
This puzzling behavior has long raised questions about how materials without a regular molecular structure can still remain mechanically stable.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In 2021, one year into D’Amaro’s tenure and following COVID shutdowns, Disney did away with FastPass and introduced a confounding and very costly series of pay-to-skip passes, which require timing advanced booking of limited slots in these formerly free-to-enter shorter lines.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The numbers paint a muddled picture.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Above a muddled Southland college basketball landscape, a heartwarming, heart-stopping story has arisen.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Flagg finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but the Raptors’ eighth-best defense in the NBA sent multiple bodies at him throughout the game and presented an uncomfortable and frustrating playing experience for his first NBA game in Toronto.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026
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Caroline’s anguish and her ineffectuality at making progress in finding Gabriel make for some frustrating moments as a reader.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And there’s going to be -- there could be a tipping point at some stage in this campaign where the opposition, which seems disorganized, in fact can make that type of move.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Solomon brings up Reiner’s diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, an illness that can involve mania, depression and the delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking associated with schizophrenia.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bewildering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bewildering. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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