as in to perplex
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
an actor who's easily flummoxed by any changes in the script
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Recent Examples of flummox
Tuch gave Buffalo an early edge after a stretch pass flummoxed the Ducks’ defense.
—
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
This fed an anti-vax movement that flummoxed an administration which hadn’t imagined its breadth or power.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Nancy Grace, the veteran prosecutor turned true-crime superstar, is as flummoxed by the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie as everyone else who is following the heartbreaking story.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
Chelsea’s players were completely unafraid to venture into unfamiliar areas of the pitch to make sure PSG generated no easy advantages with their movement, and their combination of aggression and flexibility flummoxed Luis Enrique’s team.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flummox
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
This fed an anti-vax movement that flummoxed an administration which hadn’t imagined its breadth or power.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Nancy Grace, the veteran prosecutor turned true-crime superstar, is as flummoxed by the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie as everyone else who is following the heartbreaking story.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
Chelsea’s players were completely unafraid to venture into unfamiliar areas of the pitch to make sure PSG generated no easy advantages with their movement, and their combination of aggression and flexibility flummoxed Luis Enrique’s team.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flummox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flummox
Verb
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As Season 3 of Euphoria continues to stir up some controversy, one of the show’s stars is perplexed by Cassie’s (Sydney Sweeney) OnlyFans storyline.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
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Baer appeared perplexed by this coy pretense of innocence.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Netizens were bewildered by the latest pivot, resulting in plenty of mockery on social media.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
16 Apr. 2026
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But even more than engaging the big ideas that Emma’s revelation triggers — pun somewhat intended — Lee and Borli wanted to craft an experience that would mimic its main characters’ bewildering interiority.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Captain Sidney Crosby was similarly baffled.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
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The hosts are baffled and intrigued.—
Maddie Connors,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Old luggage barcode stickers can confuse airline systems and increase the risk of bags being misrouted or delayed.—
Joey Skladany,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
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Directness is often confused with insensitivity.—
Jonathan Alpert OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The mass unemployment everyone feared is still missing Initial jobless claims rose to 214,000 in the most recent week surveyed but the overall trend remains down and Wall Street is slightly puzzled as to why.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
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The mu- and nu-rings are especially puzzling.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Expecting to catch their limit this week, the Dodgers were instead befuddled by the Miami Marlins, who had most of the answers from the mound and just enough from the plate.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
29 Apr. 2026
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This description recalls what leadership expert Jason Wild previously told Fortune about how AI tools are probabilistic, befuddling managers everywhere.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flummox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flummox. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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