baffled

adjective

baf·​fled ˈba-fəld How to pronounce baffled (audio)
1
: extremely confused or puzzled
… his explanation of a piano's key action will leave you more baffled than before.Martin Levine
Molecular biologists became even more baffled when they looked at the messenger RNAs: many of the molecules were longer than the DNA from which they had been transcribed.John Rennie
In Miss Kate's eyes there was a troubled, baffled look …Edna Ferber
We have all heard novelists testify to the fact that, beginning a new book, they are utterly baffled as to how to proceed …Donald Barthelme
2
: equipped with a baffle
Ventilation openings are baffled to prevent stray light from reaching the operator's eyes …Bausch & Lomb Catalog
A baffled fuel cell keeps the weight in place.Kevin Falvey

Examples of baffled in a Sentence

baffled viewers didn't know what to make of the strange antics of the talk show host
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Kind, baffled but game, gets roped into the dada humor. Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 11 May 2025 The Tensor series uses a double layer of reflective film insulation, with a baffled air chamber design, which helps keep it quiet. Scott Gilbertson, Wired News, 11 May 2025 Chasing perfection this offseason required Webb to tweak the pitch that, ironically, most baffled hitters. Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025 Surrounding the headliners are grumpy arena security, who spend the night wearing baffled expressions watching a sea of adults cheer and laugh and applaud over imaginary characters engaged in battles no one can actually see, and rolls of acrylic dice just 16 millimeters in size. Eric Francisco, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025 Now, a development that once baffled educators and administrators is ready to go mainstream. Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 31 Dec. 2024 Other stories explore similar themes in equally bizarre situations: In 1880s London, a very suave Joseph Merrick, aka The Elephant Man, flirts shamelessly with the smitten wife of his very baffled doctor (Goldsberry and Kind, respectively). Greg Evans, Deadline, 22 Dec. 2024 The development sent House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican members scrambling to come up with a new proposal and baffled senators on both sides of the aisle. Gord Magill, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024 The most interesting aspect that came out of that time with him — besides a green light to make the movie — was that Bob also was a little baffled about the events that went down in the course of our movie. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of baffled was in 1606

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Cite this Entry

“Baffled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baffled. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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