as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the hotel staff is completely fuddled by the guest's bizarre requests
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Recent Examples of fuddle
In colliding with a new type of animal, a chemical that might once have served to fuddle the wits of pests has been transformed into a glittering lure.
—
Gareth Cook, Scientific American, 24 June 2020
Gareth Cook, Scientific American, 24 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fuddle
Verb
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The man is Jack Ryan, not to be confused with the Jack Ryan dreamed up by Tom Clancy.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
-
Fun fact: Ferdinando de’ Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany, as a patron of the arts Ferdinando de’ Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany (not to be confused with his ancestor Ferdinando I de’ Medici, the second Grand Duke of Tuscany), was both a patron of musicians and a talented performer himself.—
Aurora Martínez,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 June 2025
Verb
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But Bird also throws a devastating slider to right-handers and a curveball that can baffle.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
28 June 2025
-
The sheriff is as baffled as anyone else, wondering how anyone as recognizable as Roy could disappear in plain sight.—
Dateline NBC,
NBC news,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Lynskey says she’s been bewildered by the fans who’ve directed online vitriol at Shauna this season, while seemingly forgiving the sins of Shauna’s husband Jeff (Warren Cole) and the heinous crimes committed by Misty (Christina Ricci).—
Todd Longwell,
Variety,
2 June 2025
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Both were bewildered by this fashion design travesty.—
Sherry Kuehl,
Kansas City Star,
13 May 2025
Verb
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The stock comeback of the last two months has perplexed many investors, who remain befuddled by the market's insistence to look past conflict, tariffs and major challenges to the economic outlook, to make short work of recovering losses from their April lows.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
20 June 2025
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That wasn't enough to heal Carol's injury, however, leaving her owner perplexed about how to help the pup.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Particularly in the Eastern Conference, where the window continues to widen because of nightmare injuries, free agency departures, and puzzling decisions to fire head coaches (looking at you, Knicks).—
Shane Young,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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There is a small and puzzling group of contract manufacturers — Flex , Celestica and Jabil — with stock moves that defy logic.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
Verb
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The beets overpower the beef and muddle any nuance in the tartare.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
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When hatred is this blatant, and the response from institutions and leaders is muted or muddled, something foundational is eroding. Antisemitism has always been a threat, but its resurgence, and frightening acceptance, in mainstream American life is dangerous and disorienting.—
Larry Hogan,
Baltimore Sun,
4 June 2025
Verb
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As disparate and discombobulating as each of these elements seem, they were tied together by the show’s enduring theme, the city of Los Angeles, which was then used to provide a subset of themes for each subsequent episode.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Mar. 2025
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Her flashbacks present throughout the film as these trippy visions with a discombobulating first-person POV.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fuddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fuddle. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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