as in embarrassing
causing embarrassment
a flustering situation that left us all silent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of flustering
Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
In the first half the Horned Frogs were successful in flustering the freshman.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
South Carolina was flying all over the court to start the game, completely flustering freshman guard Aubrey Galvan and forcing three Commodores turnovers in 30 seconds to open an 11-2 lead in less than two minutes.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 26 Jan. 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
Adjective
-
This isn’t about which teams are in the worst shape right now, or slumping the hardest, or generating the most embarrassing stories.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
-
And as a possible host or co-host of these events, your own involvement is more direct — and therefore even more embarrassing.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Too many turnaround attempts see a CEO throwing spaghetti at the wall in the hopes something will work, further confusing the rank and file and sapping their confidence in management.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
One thing confusing some residents is snow emergency declarations and the residential street parking restrictions.—
Veronica Ortega,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Scenes around the dinner table are awkward to say the least, but Meg has a big supporter in bestie Penny (Sophia Torres) and a burning desire to bring this show to life against all odds.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
-
All four athletes stood together, smiling for photos through an undeniably awkward situation.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the latest violence rattling the fragile ceasefire, medics said two men were killed by Israeli forces in eastern Khan Younis, in an area adjacent to where the army operates.—
Nidal al-Mughrabi,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Archival footage illustrates, in pulse-pounding and nerve-rattling fashion, just how widespread calls for Rushdie’s murder were.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
When they’re installed without fixing underlying issues, homeowners can end up disappointed, uncomfortable or paying more than expected.—
Brynn Cooksey,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Lenses can crack, and frames can crack or warp in a way that makes wearing them difficult or uncomfortable.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As the Alabama Crimson Tide prepare for the rival Auburn Tigers ahead of Saturday’s Iron Bowl, the team received a bit of disconcerting news.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Nov. 2025
-
The code, though, is currently often replete with disconcerting troubles.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Over time, ice can absorb unpleasant odors from the freezer.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Hair shedding, rashes, dark spots, night sweats, and other unpleasant changes on top of taking care of a new baby (and sleep deprivation) are a lot to deal with.—
Alex Vance,
Parents,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This requires the difficult task of collecting precise, real-world measurements of complex nuclei and comparing the measurements with the models’ predictions.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Feb. 2026
-
While that process may prove difficult, the suspension option was hardly better.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flustering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flustering. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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