flummoxed

verb

Definition of flummoxednext
past tense of flummox
as in baffled
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 flummoxed Police began showing up, flummoxed in the face of an irate attorney, indifferent third-party technicians, and insensate machines. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Cromar told me that even people in his field—which is to say, the most sophisticated consumers of this sort of information—may be flummoxed by the range of AQI reports. — Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026 As a junior, Smith, then a budding creator with roughly 13,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram, was flummoxed by a sudden flood of outreaches from brands. — Avery Stone, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2026 Harry Kane sparked the counter with a long pass that left the Argentina defense flummoxed for the first time all game. — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026 The Celtics were flummoxed by Robinson during the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals. — Tom Rende, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Christian Petersen / Getty Images San Antonio’s defense once again flummoxed the Thunder. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 29 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 The Volo Museum’s owners and staff are flummoxed by the latest incident in a place already known for paranormal occurrences and other strange happenings. — Gregory Harutunian, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flummoxed
  1. baffled
  2. puzzled
  3. perplexed
  4. confused
  5. bewildered
Verb
  • Beyond being frustrated with the secrecy, locals said they were baffled by the lack of specifics and clarity the stakeholders had about the project, per the records.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • And just last month, officials in Millcreek, Utah, were baffled to find an unknown camera installed on city property that neither the city nor police requested.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of baffled
Verb
  • That the Houthis are able to score hits from 500 miles away, despite the Saudi military spending tens of billions of dollars on multi-layered air defense systems, has puzzled experts.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • He was puzzled when, after 2021, the number of children going into foster care dropped, but the state's costs for child welfare were rising.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of puzzled
Verb
  • At Telluride, Fielder, who had initially planned to stay behind the scenes, admitted he was still perplexed by the couple’s openness.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • They were perplexed at first, flummoxed, but pleasant, and unfortunately for them, already long gone from the airport.
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of perplexed
Verb
  • Ureaplasma is frequently confused with or misdiagnosed as Interstitial Cystitis (IC), sending patients down a very different treatment path.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The sticker price of an iPhone might be confused with that of a luxury watch.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of confused
Verb
  • Many Eagles players were concerned and bewildered by the development.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Latif is conflicted by his double life, bewildered by his doubling of parental responsibilities, constantly trying to think two moves ahead yet always ending up three steps behind.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of bewildered

Browse Nearby Words

flummox
flummoxed
flummoxes
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Cite this Entry

“Flummoxed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flummoxed. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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