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
Something about his presence flummoxed her, a feeling that never faded.
—
CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
The hospital bill for a suburban doctor visit flummoxed her.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
The two were flummoxed when asked how outsiders could tell the difference between them.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
Defensive chief Vance Joseph is smart enough to anticipate the twists in coverage and pressure that NE coach Mike Vrabel will bring to try to flummox Stidham.
—Greg Cote
january 22, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flummox
CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
The hospital bill for a suburban doctor visit flummoxed her.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026
The two were flummoxed when asked how outsiders could tell the difference between them.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
Defensive chief Vance Joseph is smart enough to anticipate the twists in coverage and pressure that NE coach Mike Vrabel will bring to try to flummox Stidham.
—Greg Cote
january 22, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flummox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flummox
Verb
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These are the brutally real snapshots of a man well acquainted with—but still perplexed by—the powerful and destructive forces that lord over our lives.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Hour said he was perplexed by his liberal friends expressing their condolences.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Now, many millions of Americans are bewildered by events.—
David French,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
McNutt housed some 700 kids — about one-third of the population of French Lick — and Bird found the campus outside the dormitory walls bewildering.—
Keith O'Brien,
Rolling Stone,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
One administrator told me that he was baffled, but that the embassy staff seemed confident that something would come of it.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Books like this can frustrate and baffle.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the fall of 2023, Yanxiao joined Tsinghua University, where his research confused professors who were accustomed to more conventional disciplinary lines.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
But the notice sent last spring was so vague and confusing that few people used it to object.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The instinct to head back to a war zone may seem puzzling, but the reality on the ground generally isn’t as dire as the headlines suggest.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
This puzzling behavior has long raised questions about how materials without a regular molecular structure can still remain mechanically stable.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Shares are erasing some of those two-day losses on Monday, but our overarching point about the befuddling post-earnings market reaction holds true.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Desire Doue let the ball run through his legs, befuddling his marker to such a degree that the only sensible reaction was laughter.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flummox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flummox. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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