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
-
In the fall of 2023, Yanxiao joined Tsinghua University, where his research confused professors who were accustomed to more conventional disciplinary lines.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
But the notice sent last spring was so vague and confusing that few people used it to object.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One administrator told me that he was baffled, but that the embassy staff seemed confident that something would come of it.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Books like this can frustrate and baffle.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Now, many millions of Americans are bewildered by events.—
David French,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
McNutt housed some 700 kids — about one-third of the population of French Lick — and Bird found the campus outside the dormitory walls bewildering.—
Keith O'Brien,
Rolling Stone,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
These are the brutally real snapshots of a man well acquainted with—but still perplexed by—the powerful and destructive forces that lord over our lives.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Hour said he was perplexed by his liberal friends expressing their condolences.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Dawson’s Creek star was among a growing number of younger adults who’ve been diagnosed with the disease — a trend that has puzzled researchers.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Told initially from his child-like perspective, the narrator reflects on a disorienting, puzzling day when his father picked him up late from school.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Together the flavor is muddled, slightly discordant, but alone the Irish whiskey gets to sing, its apples and pears and slight malt and gentle touch a perfect foil to the zesty front palate of the lemon and the deep finish of the almonds.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
7 Mar. 2026
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But the strategy has been muddled and confused many players.—
Jason Schreier,
Bloomberg,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But after Jason advises him to speak with the guests about dinner, in order to better prepare for their expectations, the pressure only seems to discombobulate him further.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
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With this kind of wind, you get really easily discombobulated.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fuddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fuddle. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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