flustered 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of flusterednext
as in irritated

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flustered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of fluster
as in embarrassed
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress was flustered when her parents dragged out her baby pictures for her new boyfriend

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 flustered
Adjective
Sagal didn’t hold back with her reply, getting Danson a little flustered. — Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026 Perreault-Magny said frightened and flustered migrants sometimes try to climb into his unmarked patrol pickup, mistaking it for a smuggler coming to collect them. — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 29 July 2026
Verb
If this were still the primary, Raman would have flustered her way to a non-answer. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Saliba is rarely flustered, so to see his game affected as much as it was made an impression. — Art De Roché, New York Times, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for flustered
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flustered
  1. irritated
  2. embarrassed
  3. upset
  4. confused
  5. nervous
  6. rattled
  7. agitated
  8. aggravated
Adjective
  • Pause potent actives like retinoids, AHAs, BHAs and vitamin C when skin is irritated.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The deodorant also gives dry, irritated pits some extra love, with barrier-supporting sunflower seed oil that helps soften and moisturize skin.
    — Madison San Miguel, Allure, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of irritated
Verb
  • The colliding scandals embarrassed the city of South Lake Tahoe, a Sierra Nevada enclave of about 21,000 people near the Nevada border, where residents addressed the situation at an emotional City Council meeting last year.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Chicago embarrassed Philadelphia, while the Eagles squandered a late lead against the Rams before suffering an improbable loss to the Jaguars in London.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of embarrassed
Adjective
  • The guests seemed less upset by the death than by the news that their infusions would be halted.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, Brazil’s veteran leftist leader pulled off a stunning upset.
    — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of upset
Verb
  • Rosa got confused and brought up the glass of red to Carolyn’s cabin instead.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Christina Applegate’s recent revelation that she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis is raising questions about how the disease can be confused with other conditions even after years of treatment.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of confused
Adjective
  • That sounds appealing, especially to investors nervous about market declines.
    — Daniel Kern, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Shopkeepers boarded up windows while others opened temporarily and endured a nervous Saturday afternoon, after around 3,000 shops were damaged or looted last weekend.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of nervous
Verb
  • Other corners of the tech industry have also been rattled as investors scrutinize earnings and demand evidence that companies will benefit, rather than be threatened, by developments in AI.
    — Lucy Bayly, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Butler said the incident was unnerving to witness, and has left residents in the area rattled.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of rattled
Adjective
  • Yoko said her daughter simply tried to prevent an agitated resident from biting others by putting her hand around the person’s chin.
    — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • When the door finally opened, an agitated young man who resembled Ryan Gosling (Rett Keeter) shined an LED flashlight directly into my eyes, a gesture that would become familiar over the next hour.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of agitated
Adjective
  • The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office charged him in July 2025 with first-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Thompson is being held in Escambia County awaiting extradition to Georgia on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of aggravated

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Cite this Entry

“Flustered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flustered. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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