as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion
the perennially befuddled professor was always forgetting where she'd left her glasses
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in puzzled
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
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Recent Examples of befuddled
The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
The Ukrainians to their credit shrugged off Russia’s apparent artillery superiority in Kursk, correctly surmising that befuddled gunners are useless gunners.
—David Axe, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024
McGregor, Ifans and Boyle play the befuddled adult children of a eccentric mother (Burstyn) who plants herself on a couch at a furniture store and won’t leave.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 July 2024
Only that initiation had prevented me from suffering a fate like that of my befuddled classmate.
—John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for befuddled
Adjective
The book is filled with humor, canny allusion, beauty, and a profundity born of glimpsing fleeting human lives from the outside—through eyes that have seen epochs yet nonetheless remain befuddled.
—The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
The Ukrainians to their credit shrugged off Russia’s apparent artillery superiority in Kursk, correctly surmising that befuddled gunners are useless gunners.
—David Axe, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024
McGregor, Ifans and Boyle play the befuddled adult children of a eccentric mother (Burstyn) who plants herself on a couch at a furniture store and won’t leave.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 July 2024
Only that initiation had prevented me from suffering a fate like that of my befuddled classmate.
—John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for befuddled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddled
Adjective
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More than a year later, the campus remains in a state of bewildered unease.—
Nathan Heller,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
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But for many bewildered observers, both explanations for Trump’s extraordinary pivot to the Kremlin seem equally misplaced.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Seconds earlier, Allat arrives on the scene and finds a man injured on the road, dazed and holding his knee.—
Michael Dorgan,
Fox News,
7 Mar. 2025
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When Diana Ross announced her as the 1974 winner, a dazed Flack put her hand over her mouth.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Imagine how confused ordinary taxpayers are by this ridiculous, irresponsible, intergovernmental spat.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
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Tuna was both curious and confused as to why Evelyn dared to leave his side.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This is particularly important in distracted driving cases—showing data usage doesn't necessarily prove someone was actively using their phone.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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Franco is simpering when he wasn’t distracted, and while Hathaway brings a bit of spirit, most of her lines are only half-funny.—
Bill Wyman,
Vulture,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Her dizzy socialite Tanya brought a hilariously chaotic energy to The White Lotus’ first two seasons, and without her, things do get a little darker and more thoughtful in Season 3.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
13 Feb. 2025
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Now, these two Englishmen turn their attention to the dizzy industry heights of Los Angeles — where Park has claimed victory four times before, of course — with stops at the animation world’s Annie Awards and the BAFTAs on the way.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befuddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddled. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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