as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
troops disoriented by the sudden change in battle plans
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Recent Examples of disorient
Rafay Baloch, a cybersecurity expert and author of the book Web Hacking Arsenal, says that criminals specifically look for travelers who appear disoriented.
—
Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Out with the Old, in with the Letterboxd Hollywood has always been obsessed with youth, but the current generational turnover happening inside entertainment has been especially disorienting for several reasons.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 May 2026
Some birds also become disoriented and lose their sense of direction during geomagnetic storms, when solar particles distort Earth’s magnetic field.
—Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
Lacking adaptability, the machines can be completely disoriented by a simple change, like moving a chair, and halted in their progress.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for disorient
Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Out with the Old, in with the Letterboxd Hollywood has always been obsessed with youth, but the current generational turnover happening inside entertainment has been especially disorienting for several reasons.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 May 2026
Some birds also become disoriented and lose their sense of direction during geomagnetic storms, when solar particles distort Earth’s magnetic field.
—Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
Lacking adaptability, the machines can be completely disoriented by a simple change, like moving a chair, and halted in their progress.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for disorient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disorient
Verb
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Bryan was erroneously released when he was confused with another inmate with the same last name during the jail's overnight release process and his identity was not properly verified, according to the sheriff's office.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
20 Aug. 2025
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Children who have experienced traumatic stress may be restless, fidgety, or have trouble paying attention and staying organized, symptoms often confused with ADHD.—
Patricia Fersch,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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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.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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Similarly, the defensively bewildering 9-6 loss the Wild suffered to start Round 2 in Colorado set the tone for five games that would ultimately be their undoing.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Aryna Sabalenka being asked to dance after defeating Naomi Osaka in the French Open has one former American tennis star perplexed.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
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As a longtime rider I, too, am perplexed by regular displays of poor customer service by CTA employees.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Netflix’s new three-part docuseries Amy Bradley Is Missing, premiering July 16, explores the cold case that’s baffled the Bradley family and investigators for over 27 years.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
16 July 2025
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According to VanderWilk, when the shelter heard back from the microchip company and confirmed Trixie's registered owner, Olga Heigis, lived in Germany, they were baffled.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
15 July 2025
Verb
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This realization, resulting from placing old data from Voyager 2 under new scrutiny, could help explain several puzzling aspects of Uranus's magnetic envelope.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
10 Dec. 2025
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The decision to omit Roblox was seen by many Australians as a puzzling choice, given recent reports alleging children have been targeted by adult predators inside its games.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disorient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disorient. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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