BEWILDERING Synonyms: 148 Similar and Opposite Words

bewildering 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of bewildering

as in perplexing

Related Words

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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

Trump’s proposal for a National Garden of American Heroes, where visitors could commune with statues of 250 historic figures, is simply bewildering. — Yoni Appelbaum, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026 Proving academic achievement through Microcredentials presents significant challenges for graduates, who have to access a bewildering range of online platforms to share their accomplishments, in addition to the familiar ritual of requesting an academic transcript from a university registrar. — Bryan Penprase, Forbes.com, 31 May 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

For some, evoking death and sacrifice was perplexing and distasteful; a step too far.

— Harry Booth, Time, 17 July 2026
His off-court activity in the final days before he was shipped to Milwaukee included a classy and thoughtful farewell message on Monday but also included perplexing behavior that triggered a social media backlash days earlier.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026

Definition of perplexing

Verb

Despite some protests about a dog contributing to the game, Buddy — clad in a bright blue jersey and two pairs of basketball kicks — scores baffling basket after baffling basket, leaving the other team shocked.

— Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
While Loathe’s baffling compositional choices may jump out first, the album’s most glaring flaw is its production.

— Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026

Definition of baffling

Adjective

In fact, the over 50 different existing date variations can be quite confusing and have led to a lot of perfectly good food ending up in the trash.

— LeeAnn Weintraub, Oc Register, 25 July 2026
Although officials have said that Madison Square Garden will ultimately stay, the project's new renderings showcase new shops, cleaner and safer train platforms and less confusing layouts.

— Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 24 July 2026

Definition of confusing

Verb

This stingray is currently known from only two drainage systems, the Demerara River and the río Guanare which is… puzzling, to say the least, as these systems are not obviously connected in modern hydrology.

— Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Plus, the powerful cosmic titans get really puzzling when astronomers using the JWST spot them before the universe was even 1 billion years old.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 July 2026

Definition of puzzling

Adjective

Grief is one of the most confounding aspects of the human experience.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
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

Definition of confounding

Adjective

That particular brand of pseudo-advocacy, hiding behind the muddled language of law, has been a PEN America staple for at least a decade now.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Dig deeper, though, and the picture becomes muddled—because how much of that really matters?

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026

Definition of muddled

Adjective

There’s nothing more frustrating than booking a trip to paradise only to have your holiday consumed with bad weather.

— Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
In a matter of seconds, the Current’s home victory over the NWSL’s top team turned into a frustrating draw.

— Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

Definition of frustrating

Adjective

In fact, OpenEvidence scored lower on clarity than general models, with reviewers noting disorganized responses and incomplete clinical content.

— Garth Friesen, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Road transportation oversight in Peru is weak, and emergency assistance is slow and disorganized, according to experts who believe the solution lies in legal reform.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026

Definition of disorganized

Browse Nearby Words

bewilderedness

bewildering

bewilderment

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“Bewildering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bewildering. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of bewildering

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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