fuddle

verb

ˈfə-dᵊl How to pronounce fuddle (audio)
Definition of fuddlenext
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the hotel staff is completely fuddled by the guest's bizarre requests

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of fuddle In colliding with a new type of animal, a chemical that might once have served to fuddle the wits of pests has been transformed into a glittering lure. — Gareth Cook, Scientific American, 24 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fuddle
  1. confuse
  2. baffle
  3. bewilder
  4. perplex
  5. puzzle
  6. muddle
  7. discombobulate
Verb
  • No one was going to confuse Colossal with the Sierra Club.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Few foods confuse foreign visitors quite like brunost, Norwegian brown cheese.
    — David Nikel, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • Two endangered whales are baffling researchers by continuing to show up along a stretch of U.S coast that is not part of their turf, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries.
    — Mark Price, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2025
  • President Donald Trump’s mass tariffs have baffled Americans, creating uncertainty for the average consumer, according to industry leaders.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of baffle
Verb
  • This match exposed a couple of ugly issues the tour has to address and left spectators bewildered for long stretches at a time.
    — Todd Boss, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
  • The terminations, which were part of a broader push to cut federal bureaucracy and spending, have left federal workers bewildered and worried about the future of public lands.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2025
Definition of bewilder
Verb
  • And some Democrats are still perplexed by the fact that last November Donald Trump became the first Republican since maybe Abraham Lincoln to carry Fall River.
    — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Dahl was especially perplexed by the response to Evans’s fall.
    — Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of perplex
Verb
  • Mathematicians have finally solved a geometry problem that has puzzled the field for decades.
    — Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Finding today's Connections puzzle a little bit tricky?
    — John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of puzzle
Verb
  • But the entire $19.9 million would count on Miami’s books, which muddles the math and complicates potential trades.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Murphy’s recent shows at his legacy home base, FX, have been muddled and baroque, but on ABC, he’s got the goods, as evidenced by the premiere episode of his new show set on a luxury cruise ship.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of muddle
Verb
  • For myriad reasons, the passing attack was discombobulated and unreliable.
    — Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2023
  • UConn made 17-of-28 shots in the first half for a 46-29 lead and fired with a 30-point margin early in the second half before Arkansas’ full-court press discombobulated the Huskies for a few possessions.
    — Richard Morin, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2023
Definition of discombobulate

Browse Nearby Words

fud
fuddle
fuddled
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Cite this Entry

“Fuddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fuddle. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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