flustering 1 of 2

adjective

as in embarrassing
causing embarrassment a flustering situation that left us all silent

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

flustering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of fluster
as in confusing
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 flustering
Verb
The Pistons’ defense is swarming and flustering the Cavs. — Zach Harper, New York Times, 8 May 2026 But Seymour threw on a press, flustering the Patriots, who began to turn the ball over. — Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026 In the first half the Horned Frogs were successful in flustering the freshman. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flustering
  1. embarrassing
  2. confusing
  3. awkward
  4. rattling
  5. uncomfortable
  6. disconcerting
  7. unpleasant
  8. difficult
Adjective
  • Individuals can't plead the Fifth before Congress simply to avoid embarrassing testimony.
    — Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026
  • If anything, the film is more embarrassing than incendiary, and its unexamined message — that privileged, straight people can still fall in love under fascism — is, technically, true.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Verb
  • But there is the risk that his strategy will backfire by confusing investors.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Jobs are down, but consumer sentiment—and the stock market—are up, leaving the retail sector to reckon with a host of seeming contradictions and confusing market signals.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusing
Adjective
  • In addition, an awkward meeting between Ed and a smooth literary agent (Jake Lacy), along with a mini-subplot involving phone calls from Ed’s frustrated sister about their dying brother, come off slightly wedged in.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The awkward part of all this, though, is that Anthropic isn’t making money yet.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of awkward
Verb
  • Kemp and Jackson united at the Georgia Chamber’s annual congressional luncheon for the first time since Jackson’s party-rattling primary win.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • There’s certainly good news there, but the program also saw its average revenue per user drop over the last quarter, rattling investors.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of rattling
Adjective
  • It’s also designed to sit right at your natural waist, so no uncomfortable fidgeting here.
    — Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Cody pointed out the woman who had taken up an uncomfortable perch on a barstool.
    — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncomfortable
Verb
  • It is filled with off-putting, perhaps even disconcerting antics, and teams don't want to add that to their locker room.
    — Armando Salguero, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • One less gory but still disconcerting video shown in court was the bodycam footage from the night in February 2024 when members of the LA County Sheriff’s Department paid a visit to Burke’s Hollywood Hills home.
    — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 22 July 2026
Definition of disconcerting
Adjective
  • Wyman was a happy warrior — often partisan, but rarely unpleasant.
    — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The day’s unpleasant winds eventually drive us indoors to the nearby, and aptly named, John’s Coffee Shop.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • Establishing that sense of familiarity requires time spent playing and training together, something made more difficult by a constant carousel of new signings.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Nugraha said difficult terrain has complicated efforts, with some hotspots located on steep volcanic slopes that are difficult to reach by land.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of difficult

Browse Nearby Words

flustered
flustering
flusters
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Cite this Entry

“Flustering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flustering. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of flustering for Spanish Speakers

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