as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion
my brain grew more and more addle as I made my way through the tax instructions
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
after slipping on the ice, Bethany was so addled that she left her groceries where they'd fallen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of addle
Ann Hornaday, Twin Cities, 25 July 2019
Vulture, 31 Jan. 2024
Famously formerly addled but now sober and with new management, Adams played a five-show East Coast solo run, including at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
—Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, 30 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for addle
Adjective
Soon enough, the foursome are in the back of that truck in an adventure that begins as a moneymaking scheme and promises to become a heroic journey into the heart of white supremacy at its most virulent and addle-minded.
—Ann Hornaday, Twin Cities, 25 July 2019
Verb
Writer’s block was extreme, and the alcohol had addled his mind.
—Vulture, 31 Jan. 2024
Famously formerly addled but now sober and with new management, Adams played a five-show East Coast solo run, including at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
—Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, 30 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for addle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for addle
Adjective
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The feeling in the crowd was a kind of dazed submission.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
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While fielding applause at her Symphony Center show on Friday, harpist Brandee Younger made a dazed confession.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Across the street, her husband Steve, who nursed Molly through her first fight with breast cancer a few years earlier, sits bewildered in the office of their couples therapist.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 Mar. 2025
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Carlie thinks the whole thing is hilarious, and Chelsea remains bewildered by any King Cake Baby obsession.—
Chelsea Brasted,
Axios,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In the two years since Tommy Elliott was killed in a mass shooting, Maryanne Elliott’s grief has, in turns, left her aghast and overwhelmed, bewildered and incapacitated, grateful and wanting to die.—
Kristina Goetz,
USA Today,
13 Apr. 2025
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In the now-viral video, the tuxedo cat crawls out from under the bed, wide-eyed and bewildered.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This May, students from across the United States will gather in Washington D.C., for the 100th anniversary of the Scripps Spelling Bee, determined to conquer a spelling system that has baffled us for centuries.—
Gabe Henry,
Time,
15 Apr. 2025
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With a fastball that tops out around 87 mph, Barrett finds other ways to baffle hitters.—
Dave Melton,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The distracted driver hit two cars, both heading west, after reportedly going left of center, OSHP's Chardon Post Trooper William Head confirmed, per the outlet.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Maria Espinosa was walking her son Misael Rico, then 6 years old, to school in January 2011 when a distracted driver jumped a curb and pinned the boy beneath the vehicle, the family said.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Pritzker’s roughly 10-minute interview followed a week when Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs roiled stock markets and left American investors, businesses and the nation’s trading partners perplexed about what the president is attempting to achieve.—
Dan Petrella,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Apr. 2025
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Curious onlookers can expect to catch a glimpse of the full moon's peak at 8:22 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 12, 2025, yet the lack of a rosy hue may leave many people perplexed.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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If readers are confused, consider yet again that Instagram could claim all of 30 million users when its acquisition was announced.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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Those who lost their Medicaid health care reported being unaware or confused about how to report work hours.—
Phil Galewitz,
NPR,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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For decades, audiences have confused the two for one another — a line that's gotten all the more blurry as the Grammy winner launched her acting career and the Emmy winner began singing in multiple projects, including her turn as Sally Bowles in the 2014 Broadway revival of Cabaret.—
Dave Quinn,
People.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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Hippler said in the new order bringing more attention to it in opening statements and through expert testimony would add more time to the already lengthy trial and probably confuse the jury.—
Jean Casarez,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Addle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/addle. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
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