as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
our grandmother seems a bit discombobulated by all of this birthday fuss
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Recent Examples of discombobulate
To completely discombobulate him, someone like me heaving all over him with lips and eyes and bosom, to turn this nerd.
—
Vulture, 29 Dec. 2022
Authorities said a beam of light aimed at an aircraft could discombobulate and even temporarily blind the pilot in the cockpit.
—Matt Bruce, ajc, 30 July 2022
Scientists have known for years about bony fish, sharks, worms, jellies, corals, and other marine creatures that light up to attract mates, lure prey, or discombobulate predators.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2021
These molecular tests search the genomic manuscript with about as much precision as the Ctrl+F function on a computer, which means that even single-letter typos—that is, simple RNA mutations—can discombobulate them.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 June 2021
See all Example Sentences for discombobulate 
Vulture, 29 Dec. 2022
Authorities said a beam of light aimed at an aircraft could discombobulate and even temporarily blind the pilot in the cockpit.
—Matt Bruce, ajc, 30 July 2022
Scientists have known for years about bony fish, sharks, worms, jellies, corals, and other marine creatures that light up to attract mates, lure prey, or discombobulate predators.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2021
These molecular tests search the genomic manuscript with about as much precision as the Ctrl+F function on a computer, which means that even single-letter typos—that is, simple RNA mutations—can discombobulate them.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 June 2021
See all Example Sentences for discombobulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discombobulate
Verb
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Many fans online seemed shocked and bewildered by her post asking for another natural disaster.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
17 Jan. 2025
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Other creators named in the suit had quicker but equally bewildered responses.—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Rolling Stone,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Some residents have confused local law enforcement for ICE agents, said Earl Stoddard, an assistant chief administrative officer in Montgomery County, a sign of locals' anxieties that their neighborhood could be the agency's next target.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
arkansasonline.com,
25 Jan. 2025
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After a whirlwind of speculation and confusing back-and-forth negotiations, the Jacksonville Jaguars have officially hired former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Liam Coen as their new head coach.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The legal process can be both daunting and baffling without the help of a lawyer to navigate the rules.—
Ben Wieder,
Miami Herald,
26 Jan. 2025
-
We may be baffled by a public that rejoiced in the baiting of bears.—
Anthony Lane,
The New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Highlanders’ zone defense can perplex their opponents.—
Steve Fryer,
Orange County Register,
16 Jan. 2025
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The box office achievement category continues to perplex For its sophomore year, this category — meant to ensure that movies most people have actually seen do at least get some kind of awards recognition at the Globes — still managed to secure some curious choices.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
9 Dec. 2024
Verb
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That disaster is where Peacock’s new limited series gets its name, but the show focuses on Dr. Jim Swire (Colin Firth) and his decades long mission to answer major puzzling questions about what happened.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
6 Jan. 2025
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In an interview with Variety Friday, the actress, who earned a nod for Best Actress for her role as Elphaba in the film, said she was puzzled that Chu didn’t earn a nod for the film.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The 30-year-old rode his befuddling changeup to a career-low 1.25 ERA with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2024, despite making only 22 appearances because of a back injury.—
Newsweek,
Newsweek,
9 Jan. 2025
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The Vanderbilt offense that befuddled Alabama and did enough to win at Kentucky and Auburn found answers early.—
Joe Rexrode,
The Athletic,
1 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Discombobulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discombobulate. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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