as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion
new federal regulations that the easily bemused should make no attempt to read and understand
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in intrigued
to hold the attention of
a public that seemed more bemused by the shenanigans of celebrities than by a war being waged half a world away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in puzzled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the stage mishap momentarily bemused the actress
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bemused
Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
His bemused reaction quickly morphed into something more instructive.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Needless to say, Ben Shelton (who ended up winning the men’s event) and his opponent Karen Khachanov were bemused by the interruption.
—Max Gao, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bemused
Adjective
Auriemma watched the chaos unfold wearing a bemused smirk.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
His bemused reaction quickly morphed into something more instructive.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
Bayern’s players were also bemused by the decision not to award a very late spot kick to them for handball.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Needless to say, Ben Shelton (who ended up winning the men’s event) and his opponent Karen Khachanov were bemused by the interruption.
—Max Gao, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bemused
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bemused
Adjective
-
Karl-Anthony Towns, who was on the podium with him, took off his glasses and looked at his teammate with a bewildered expression.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
-
Everyone was so relieved to see how bewildered everyone else was that the feeling in this place was almost festive.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The setting is an unidentified town in Ohio in the early 1970s, a rec center that plays host to a weekly meeting of seven women, all walks of life, who are intrigued by this new talk of Women’s Liberation and consciousness-raising.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
26 May 2026
-
The way they’re being listened to, the way a judge might nod at them or laugh at them or look intrigued by them.—
Elliot Mann,
Twin Cities,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Two experts said they were puzzled by the release records.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
-
Tim Ream is looking at you, puzzled.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
This led to a surreal sight at 5-0 in the fourth set, with Safiullin flat on his back receiving treatment for a hip injury while a dazed Ruud tried to revive himself with an ice towel.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
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Moments later, dazed residents staggered out as others rushed in to help.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
To my surprise, that interested him—most men wouldn’t have wanted to hear about it.—
Joyce Johnson,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
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Around the same time, Barwick and his then-student, Peter Haine, independently came up with a slightly different definition in order to answer a particular question in category theory that interested them.—
Konstantin Kakaes,
Quanta Magazine,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Cannonball Concretions Perfectly round rock formations in the North Unit baffled scientists for years.—
Julia Sayers Gokhale,
Midwest Living,
1 June 2026
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While some were baffled by the posts amid Bear’s claims, others pointed out the ability to schedule posts, depending on the type of account.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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During the initial investigation, authorities determined that the man appeared confused and was experiencing a mental health crisis.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
-
Even current and former DeSantis communications staffers appeared confused online about it.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
But he’s always been fascinated by this heroine’s story.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2026
-
The combined disgust, discomfort, ignorance, and fascination with our Indigeneity that unsettled my aunties and fascinated my cousins made more sense to me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bemused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemused. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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