1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

flummoxing

verb

present participle of flummox
as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty an actor who's easily flummoxed by any changes in the script

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flummoxing
  1. baffling
  2. puzzling
  3. perplexing
  4. bewildering
  5. confusing
Verb
  • Their admirable determination makes Diamantis’ flight from the United States baffling for us and humiliating for them.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The sequel, on the other hand, is shaped by baffling decisions from director Susanne Bier and cinematographer Simon Duggan that render the film antiseptic.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of baffling
Verb
  • While there were reasons for this morning's move higher, this afternoon's bond selloff is puzzling.
    — Diana Olick, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026
  • These early proponents of quantum biology sought explanations for the puzzling properties of life at the classical scale in the counterintuitive laws of physics at the quantum scale.
    — Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of puzzling
Verb
  • Gibson Nash, 21, was charged with first-degree murder after a series of perplexing events eventually led police to his mother’s bloodied body.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • But there were also perplexing moments that punctured the gravitas of the event (even for an event built around hand-to-hand combat).
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
Definition of perplexing
Verb
  • The threats are constantly evolving, layering upon themselves with bewildering speed.
    — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 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 bewildering
Verb
  • The common mistake is confusing behavioral information with behavioral intelligence.
    — Dr. Jay R. Harrison, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • No doubt, Gucci Morty is confusing teachers who are receiving similar responses from their students.
    — Owen Carry, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of confusing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

flummoxes
flummoxing
flump
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flummoxing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flummoxing. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of argot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All