as in perplexed
faced with difficulty or uncertainty about what to say, think, or do
baffled viewers didn't know what to make of the strange antics of the talk show host
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in frustrated
to prevent from achieving a goal
the language barrier baffled everyone and discouraged us from attempting another teleconference
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in puzzled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
she was baffled by the wording of the clause in the insurance policy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 baffled
Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
TikTok users were left baffled and amazed by a clip showing a cat seamlessly opening a door for a dog.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
Censoring Ulysses In reviewing the UK Home Office files on James Joyce's Ulysses, a historian found baffled officials afraid to bring more attention to it.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
Perhaps this played better at home, but in the room, there was a baffled silence, barring pockets of laughter for the contributions from Stanley Tucci and Dame Judi Dench.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2024
Sharon starts with small selfless acts, much to the baffled chagrin of Michelle’s grieving widower father, Ed (Alan Ritchson), cutting hair for a charity fundraiser, organizing the family’s mounting bills and babysitting Michelle and her slightly older sister, Ashley (Skywalker Hughes).
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024
Smart still looks deeply baffled and is clearly not convinced.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023
The trial was an attempt to bring an ending, at last, to a mystery that had tortured her family and baffled strangers, including me.
—Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2023
The insulation is a reflective film, with a baffled air chamber design, which helps keep it quiet.
—WIRED, 18 June 2023
Adjective
The Beatles themselves can only offer bemused waves and baffled chuckles.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
TikTok users were left baffled and amazed by a clip showing a cat seamlessly opening a door for a dog.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
Censoring Ulysses In reviewing the UK Home Office files on James Joyce's Ulysses, a historian found baffled officials afraid to bring more attention to it.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
Perhaps this played better at home, but in the room, there was a baffled silence, barring pockets of laughter for the contributions from Stanley Tucci and Dame Judi Dench.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2024
Sharon starts with small selfless acts, much to the baffled chagrin of Michelle’s grieving widower father, Ed (Alan Ritchson), cutting hair for a charity fundraiser, organizing the family’s mounting bills and babysitting Michelle and her slightly older sister, Ashley (Skywalker Hughes).
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024
Smart still looks deeply baffled and is clearly not convinced.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023
The trial was an attempt to bring an ending, at last, to a mystery that had tortured her family and baffled strangers, including me.
—Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2023
The insulation is a reflective film, with a baffled air chamber design, which helps keep it quiet.
—WIRED, 18 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baffled
Adjective
-
That left Ferentz to answer for McNamara’s situation on Tuesday, and the head coach seemed perplexed by how to describe it.Scott Dochterman, The Athletic, 23 Nov. 2024
-
At an Omaha Beach event honoring the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion, Dr. Jill Biden quickly escorts Joe Biden away leaving a seemingly perplexed French President Emmanuel Macron to honor WW2 veterans alone.Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu and Sara Swann, Austin American-Statesman, 8 June 2024
Verb
-
She is frustrated with Jae-yoon due to him misunderstanding her heart.Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Dec. 2024
-
Patients can’t continue absorbing these unnecessary costs, and physicians like me are increasingly frustrated by how hospital consolidation undermines our ability to provide affordable, high-quality care.Lisa Abrams, Baltimore Sun, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The clip received more than 3,900 shares and 4.1 million views on X. In the footage a young girl dressed in pink walks along the chilled aisle of a superstore, throwing products as bewildered customers look on.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024
-
In May, police officers in the town of Lufkin, Texas responded to a bewildered call about a pair of kangaroos that were on the loose.Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 19 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
However, the Madea star said his science teacher then asked him about dissecting the animal, which confused a young Perry.Nicholas Rice, People.com, 8 Dec. 2024
-
Meanwhile, the state’s agriculture department, which had been routinely testing Raw Farm milk products kept getting negative results — leaving infectious disease experts confused.Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near baffled
Cite this Entry
“Baffled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baffled. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share