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
  • 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
  • Republicans use metaphor to turn unpopular policies into perky catchphrases, leaving Democrats bewildered.
    — Richard Yanowitch, Mercury News, 29 July 2026
  • In Texas, Spain bewildered France, neutralising what has looked like the most formidable attack in the tournament.
    — Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of bewilder
Verb
  • The news conference that followed left some economists baffled.
    — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 30 July 2026
  • Another passerby was baffled by how empty the corner now looks.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Definition of baffle
Verb
  • The Studio Behind The Technology Annapurna Studios (not to be confused with the Megan Ellison-founded Annapurna Pictures in Hollywood) has been a cornerstone of Indian cinema for half a century.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • But there is the risk that his strategy will backfire by confusing investors.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • The fire chief, Gene Perreault, who was there during the walk-through, tells me the piles puzzled investigators.
    — Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026
  • It's become a world of quick and easy solutions for life's puzzling issues; seemingly solving them in 45 seconds or using household remedies.
    — John Shumway, CBS News, 5 Aug. 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
See all Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Flummox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flummox. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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