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 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 But the second part of the equation continued to flummox both. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 12 May 2026 Defensive struggles against the Joel Embiid/Tyrese Maxey pick-and-roll, which has flummoxed Boston’s bigs since Embiid’s mid-series return. — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 1 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
  • Workers at Doherty Staffing Solutions were perplexed when strangers started calling the office in response to recruitment texts — texts the firm never sent.
    — Bill Lukitsch, Boston Herald, 13 July 2026
  • The Wiener Kitchen diners weren’t the only Kansas Citians perplexed by this description.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
Definition of perplex
Verb
  • As fans of the comedian know, Ali G is a streetwise interviewer whose hip hop slang often bewilders guests such as Noam Chomsky, Andy Rooney and Newt Gingrich.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 7 July 2026
  • But these casting decisions are bewildering, to say the least, and will certainly cost the film ticket sales and potential revenue.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of bewilder
Verb
  • The closure of the Dome and ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood has been painful for both locals and industry creatives, leaving countless baffled that powerbrokers in town have not found a way to open the doors again.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 21 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 baffle
Verb
  • Still, don’t confuse harmony with everyone silently knowing the plan.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 July 2026
  • Large-scale solar farms cause habitat loss, fragment ecosystems, and confuse wildlife with reflective panels, while concentrated solar can vaporize birds.
    — Indrabati Lahiri, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • No hotspot exists beneath Sicily, leaving scientists puzzled.
    — Refractor, Refractor, 27 July 2026
  • This kind of arrangement isn’t new—when ARTnews broached the subject with New York’s Michael Hort, who collects with his wife Susan, he was puzzled as to why there should even be a story about it.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of puzzle
Verb
  • The invisible present befuddles each generation in every age.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
  • The 1,000-person guest list was impressive, expansive and, occasionally, befuddling.
    — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 4 July 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 28 Jul. 2026.

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