as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
the library patron was in obvious befuddlement over where to find the appropriate references
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Recent Examples of befuddlement
Tunnel fits have become so valuable that the teams themselves post them on official social media channels, to the delight (and sometimes befuddlement) of fans.
—
Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddlement
Noun
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The 30-hour search for a suspect Across the country, the killing of the prominent political figure and media personality – the latest in a string of political violence incidents – had sowed shock and confusion.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
-
In one notable instance, antipathy toward business has led to confusion and unnecessary tension.—
Kerry Jackson,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Citations for not having headlights on during rain, fog or smoke and for not wearing a seatbelt were also dismissed.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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In the summer of 2025, the Faroes experienced a heat wave of sorts, with temperatures up to the low twenties (Celsius) and several days of almost no rain and fog only in the morning.—
Mattias Goldmann,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Pan’s final pages are a kaleidoscope of phantasmagoria and philosophic bewilderment, a refusal of closure and clarity that is seemingly—and fittingly—designed to give readers a heavy dose of, to use the clinical term, derealization.—
Scott Stossel,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
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When that turned into mass annihilation, the most frequent Israeli excuse was the population’s state of shock, trauma, exhaustion and bewilderment, the sensation of being under threat from outsiders and in imminent danger.—
Uriel Kon
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befuddlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddlement. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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