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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of befuddled
Christina Coulter, Fox News, 28 Nov. 2024
My friends were confused by my abrupt stop and the frightened and befuddled look on my face — except for one, whose eyes were also bulging wide.
—Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024
After intermission, Davis becomes Poirot, while Hendrickson takes on the role of somewhat befuddled wingman in Arthur Hastings.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 13 Oct. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for befuddled
Adjective
The animals are found in unnatural positions and drained entirely of blood by befuddled ranchers in Minnesota, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Oregon and elsewhere.
Sgt.
—Christina Coulter, Fox News, 28 Nov. 2024
My friends were confused by my abrupt stop and the frightened and befuddled look on my face — except for one, whose eyes were also bulging wide.
—Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024
After intermission, Davis becomes Poirot, while Hendrickson takes on the role of somewhat befuddled wingman in Arthur Hastings.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 13 Oct. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for befuddled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddled
Adjective
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In the two years since Tommy Elliott was killed in a mass shooting, Maryanne Elliott’s grief has, in turns, left her aghast and overwhelmed, bewildered and incapacitated, grateful and wanting to die.—
Kristina Goetz,
USA Today,
13 Apr. 2025
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In the now-viral video, the tuxedo cat crawls out from under the bed, wide-eyed and bewildered.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Case in point: his goal for Portugal Under-17s against Morocco in September 2023, a ludicrous solo effort that left a trail of dazed defenders scratching their heads and wondering what the hell had just happened.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Sea lions and dolphins have been observed rigid with seizures, acting dazed and confused.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Harris emphasizes nothing has yet changed but customers remain confused as to the status of the incentive and Harbinger’s IRA Risk Free Guarantee was created to mitigate that confusion.—
Ed Garsten,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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And while my four rides in Waymo's Jaguar i-Pace vehicles around Los Angeles last summer didn't feature any such fits of indecisiveness, the cars have had their own confused moments.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The distracted driver hit two cars, both heading west, after reportedly going left of center, OSHP's Chardon Post Trooper William Head confirmed, per the outlet.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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That's changed as more parents fear the morning rush of traffic and distracted drivers.—
Linh Ta,
Axios,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Arielle appears to have repeatedly expressed her unease with the hike, including the steep height and feeling dizzy after taking a photo on a tree.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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Back in 2023, Skrillex resurfaced unexpectedly with two new albums at once—Quest for Fire and Don’t Get Too Close—to showcase how his rattling bass juggernauts had evolved and his newfound grasp on dizzy emo-rap had tightened.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befuddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddled. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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