befuddle

verb

be·​fud·​dle bi-ˈfə-dᵊl How to pronounce befuddle (audio)
bē-
befuddled; befuddling; befuddles

transitive verb

1
: to muddle or stupefy with or as if with drink
befuddled with drink all the time.Ellen Glasgow
2
: confuse, perplex
a problem that still befuddles the experts
befuddlement noun

Examples of befuddle in a Sentence

most of the applicants were befuddled by the wording of one of the questions on the driving test
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.
Whether that sudden shift befuddled his opponent is unclear, but just 40 seconds later Shang Zhifa was sprawled on the canvas, felled by a vicious right hand. Charlie Campbell, TIME, 9 Jan. 2025 Once Thomas travels to Orlok’s castle, he is befuddled by the vampire’s mind-control powers, and signs a mysterious contract written in occult letters, unwittingly signing his wife away to Orlok. Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024 Walls of Sciurus carolinensis pulsing across the landscape befuddled naturalists and frustrated farmers, but these movements were a survival strategy, says John Koprowski, the dean of the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming and a longtime squirrel expert. Christine Peterson, Vox, 23 Dec. 2024 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, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for befuddle 

Word History

Etymology

be- + fuddle

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of befuddle was in 1801

Dictionary Entries Near befuddle

Cite this Entry

“Befuddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/befuddle. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

befuddle

verb
be·​fud·​dle bi-ˈfəd-ᵊl How to pronounce befuddle (audio)
befuddled; befuddling
-ˈfəd-liŋ,
-ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to dull the senses of with or as if with too much drink : stupefy
2
befuddlement noun

More from Merriam-Webster on befuddle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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