1
as in to deceive
to cause to believe what is untrue
bamboozled by con men into buying worthless land in the desert
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
I'm completely bamboozled by the latest changes in the tax code
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bamboozle
Learning multiple languages is 100% worth it just for bamboozling people like that!
—
Darlin Tillery, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Cocker’s lessons covered addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, as well as calculation with pre-decimal British currency and a gentle introduction to 17th-century England’s bamboozling array of weights and measures.
—James Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024
If, in the first movie, Arthur was the shy, weird loser rejected by all women, now he’s being bamboozled by one.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 4 Oct. 2024
The presence of Good, standing by her man, cast doubt on Jabbari, who is white, and helped create a counter-narrative: that a good Black man had been bamboozled by a conniving white woman.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bamboozle
Darlin Tillery, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Cocker’s lessons covered addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, as well as calculation with pre-decimal British currency and a gentle introduction to 17th-century England’s bamboozling array of weights and measures.
—James Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024
If, in the first movie, Arthur was the shy, weird loser rejected by all women, now he’s being bamboozled by one.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 4 Oct. 2024
The presence of Good, standing by her man, cast doubt on Jabbari, who is white, and helped create a counter-narrative: that a good Black man had been bamboozled by a conniving white woman.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bamboozle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bamboozle
Verb
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But as, as the brilliant evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller notes, our capacities to judge competence have evolved, so too have our capacities to deceive others about it.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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And Ken claims to be a man of faith but uses fake Uber accounts to meet his girlfriend and deceive his family.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Rob Lowe was recently confused for another celebrity during a Hollywood bus tour.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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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
Verb
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Be Wary of Phishing Emails and Texts After a breach, scammers may impersonate the affected company to trick you into clicking malicious links.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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She was tricked by the very devilish Zeus, who broke his way into many marriages.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
6 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
Verb
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That was probably a terrible decision, in fairness, but Meazza responded by faking a shot to fool a defender, then teed up Piola to score.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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While the towering shoes may seem intimidating, don’t let their large, often chunky heels fool you: PLatform shoes are among the most comfortable heels in any wardrobe.—
Nina Derwin,
Glamour,
17 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
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
Verb
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At one point, McKinstry retreated to the dugout frustrated after another puzzling at-bat.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
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Earlier this year, Gen Zers were puzzled by a classic millennial fashion staple: 6-inch high heels.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bamboozle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bamboozle. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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