flummox

verb

ˈflə-məks How to pronounce flummox (audio)
Definition of flummoxnext
as in to perplex
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty an actor who's easily flummoxed by any changes in the script

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 flummox He was flummoxed, then horrified. — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 Christian Petersen / Getty Images San Antonio’s defense once again flummoxed the Thunder. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 29 May 2026 Visitors were flummoxed by the machinery used to pay, and local residents struggled to get the free permits they were promised. — Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 May 2026 His injuries facilitate his regeneration into the younger McGann model, via a lengthy hospital sequence in which the medical staff is appropriately flummoxed by his two hearts. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for flummox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flummox
  1. perplex
  2. bewilder
  3. baffle
  4. confuse
  5. puzzle
  6. befuddle
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 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 scene never fails to baffle the senses as the path rises up about a thousand feet from the valley floor.
    — Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • She is baffled by the way her friends Moe and Fumina rail against their parents, especially when Yuko is always holding back at home, forever walking on eggshells.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of baffle
Verb
  • This reserve should not be confused with a permanent investment strategy.
    — Steve Booren, Denver Post, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The light entering my eyes would bend at two different angles, confusing my brain and making my vision a little blurry.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • In practice, puzzling choices by curators Klaus Biesenbach and Maike Steinkamp rendered the experiment fraught in places.
    — Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Three bears were taken, and, in keeping with the southern tradition of bear hunting, Roosevelt’s hosts were a bit puzzled by the president’s disappointment.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 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

flumes
flummox
flummoxed
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Cite this Entry

“Flummox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flummox. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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