discombobulate

verb

ˌdis-kəm-ˈbä-b(y)ə-ˌlāt How to pronounce discombobulate (audio)
Definition of discombobulatenext
as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty our grandmother seems a bit discombobulated by all of this birthday fuss

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 discombobulate The story of Game Two should also feature Jose Alvarado, who scored all of two points and played only ten minutes but seemed to discombobulate the Spurs with his fearlessness and his speed. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 7 June 2026 Jackson Merrill is too talented to be this discombobulated much longer. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026 But none have quite the staying power of discombobulate. — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026 Does springing forward in early March leave you feeling discombobulated during your commute? — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for discombobulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discombobulate
  1. bewilder
  2. confuse
  3. baffle
  4. perplex
  5. puzzle
  6. befuddle
Verb
  • The threats are constantly evolving, layering upon themselves with bewildering speed.
    — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Republicans use metaphor to turn unpopular policies into perky catchphrases, leaving Democrats bewildered.
    — Richard Yanowitch, Mercury News, 29 July 2026
Definition of bewilder
Verb
  • The Studio Behind The Technology Annapurna Studios (not to be confused with the Megan Ellison-founded Annapurna Pictures in Hollywood) has been a cornerstone of Indian cinema for half a century.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • But there is the risk that his strategy will backfire by confusing investors.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • The news conference that followed left some economists baffled.
    — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 30 July 2026
  • Another passerby was baffled by how empty the corner now looks.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Definition of baffle
Verb
  • Gibson Nash, 21, was charged with first-degree murder after a series of perplexing events eventually led police to his mother’s bloodied body.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The Brazil midfielder has expressed a desire to join Arsenal, but Newcastle did not want to sell him this summer and have been perplexed by the lack of direct contact from the London club.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of perplex
Verb
  • The fire chief, Gene Perreault, who was there during the walk-through, tells me the piles puzzled investigators.
    — Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026
  • It's become a world of quick and easy solutions for life's puzzling issues; seemingly solving them in 45 seconds or using household remedies.
    — John Shumway, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of puzzle
Verb
  • Abbas Kiarostami did that in Taste of Cherry, which befuddled certain audiences but then also won the Palme d’Or in 1997.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Not doing so left some members of the Astros’ organization befuddled, according to multiple team sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss trade talks.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of befuddle

Browse Nearby Words

discolors
discombobulate
discombobulated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Discombobulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discombobulate. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of salvo

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All