as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
most of the applicants were befuddled by the wording of one of the questions on the driving test
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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 befuddle
Why other countries are taking over The reasons behind this trend are complex and have befuddled hockey people in Canada for more than a decade.
—
James Mirtle, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
The Eagles’ most remarkable feature in the Super Bowl was their zero blitzes by the defense, which befuddled three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
—Ben Standig, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Schumer and the others who voted yes fear that TikTok will go dark tomorrow and 170 million befuddled and enraged American users will blame them.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2025
The Mars methane mystery has befuddled scientists for years.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befuddle
James Mirtle, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
The Eagles’ most remarkable feature in the Super Bowl was their zero blitzes by the defense, which befuddled three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
—Ben Standig, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Schumer and the others who voted yes fear that TikTok will go dark tomorrow and 170 million befuddled and enraged American users will blame them.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2025
The Mars methane mystery has befuddled scientists for years.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befuddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddle
Verb
-
This match exposed a couple of ugly issues the tour has to address and left spectators bewildered for long stretches at a time.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
-
The terminations, which were part of a broader push to cut federal bureaucracy and spending, have left federal workers bewildered and worried about the future of public lands.—
Alicia Victoria Lozano,
NBC News,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
And some Democrats are still perplexed by the fact that last November Donald Trump became the first Republican since maybe Abraham Lincoln to carry Fall River.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Dahl was especially perplexed by the response to Evans’s fall.—
Ronan Farrow,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
No one was going to confuse Colossal with the Sierra Club.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Few foods confuse foreign visitors quite like brunost, Norwegian brown cheese.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Two endangered whales are baffling researchers by continuing to show up along a stretch of U.S coast that is not part of their turf, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2025
-
President Donald Trump’s mass tariffs have baffled Americans, creating uncertainty for the average consumer, according to industry leaders.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Mathematicians have finally solved a geometry problem that has puzzled the field for decades.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Finding today's Connections puzzle a little bit tricky?—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befuddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddle. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share