as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
our grandmother seems a bit discombobulated by all of this birthday fuss
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Recent Examples of discombobulate
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
Yet Grace is the one who wakes up in space, and this story emerges nonlinearly, narrative flashbacks like bursts of memory ripping through his brain, discombobulated after a long intergalactic coma.
—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2026
Yet Grace is the one who wakes up in space, and this story emerges nonlinearly, narrative flashbacks like bursts of memory ripping through his brain, discombobulated after a long intergalactic coma.
—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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
Yet Grace is the one who wakes up in space, and this story emerges nonlinearly, narrative flashbacks like bursts of memory ripping through his brain, discombobulated after a long intergalactic coma.
—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2026
Yet Grace is the one who wakes up in space, and this story emerges nonlinearly, narrative flashbacks like bursts of memory ripping through his brain, discombobulated after a long intergalactic coma.
—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discombobulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discombobulate
Verb
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For three years straight, he’s kept up a pace that bewilders the industry’s leading comics.
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The narrator and his wife find that their attachment to the charismatic and cryptic Chibi grows with the cat’s increasing visits, in a way that bewilders them but somehow bonds them closer together.
Verb
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The decision reverses a June 15 determination by Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher, who concluded the Petersburg resident's candidacy was intended to confuse voters rather than represent a legitimate campaign.
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The senator and allies, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, have condemned the challenger’s efforts to join the race, arguing his presence could confuse voters.
Verb
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In the sixth inning, Jasson Domínguez battled Skubal for eight pitches, surviving against the stuff that baffled him earlier in the game.
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His mother, Ahmani Hicks, describes him as a kid who loved sports, and she's baffled as to why her son was targeted.
Verb
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And Wednesday’s doubleheader — thanks to a Monday rainout that perplexed Counsell — certainly didn’t help the pitching staff.
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Sometimes those editing swings make sense, like incorporating more social-media posts and group chats, but other times the stylistic choices simply perplex.
Verb
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Pochettino seemed puzzled by the downcast tone of his post-match press conference.
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Astronomers are puzzled that such a glaring inconsistency could have gone unnoticed in existing data, such as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), which provides our earliest snapshot of the universe.
Verb
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Hardly ten more minutes had passed before Dembélé scored again—this time, cutting inside and stuttering his dribble and then, having befuddled the defense, rolling the ball right past it into an open corner of the goal.
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Of course, this is just a simple way to look at a complex problem that befuddles property owners, insurance companies and policymakers alike.
Cite this Entry
“Discombobulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discombobulate. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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