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
Alida Becker, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Then Aunt Phoebe joins in the gaslighting, and a befuddled Lydia is ushered away for some dinner.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 13 May 2025
Take a recent episode about cruises, which featured Ben Stiller, Quinta Brunson, and Mulaney’s frequent comedy partner Nick Kroll, along with a befuddled industry expert named Anne Kalosh.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
Black co-stars with Day, Dismukes, and Fineman as the befuddled audience members, loudly chiming in from the front row after every line to reply.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befuddled
Adjective
Inspired by the historical figure known as Lambert Simnel, THE PRETENDER (Knopf, 471 pp., $30) is a rollicking account of a befuddled boy’s pillar-to-post existence as a political pawn.
—Alida Becker, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Then Aunt Phoebe joins in the gaslighting, and a befuddled Lydia is ushered away for some dinner.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 13 May 2025
Take a recent episode about cruises, which featured Ben Stiller, Quinta Brunson, and Mulaney’s frequent comedy partner Nick Kroll, along with a befuddled industry expert named Anne Kalosh.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
Black co-stars with Day, Dismukes, and Fineman as the befuddled audience members, loudly chiming in from the front row after every line to reply.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for befuddled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddled
Adjective
-
A couple was left bewildered after discovering an unfamiliar cat helping itself to their own pet's food in a now-viral TikTok video that has left viewers on the platform in hysterics.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
-
Officials in other places that had voted overwhelmingly for President Trump but were far from the front lines of the immigration debate were simply bewildered.—
Campbell Robertson,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
At some point, Kevin, dazed but not incapacitated, got on the line with a dispatcher.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 July 2025
-
In footage shared by local media, he was seen bloodied, dazed and clutching his mobile phone.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
The home appeared on Zillow Gone Wild, a Facebook page that highlights unique houses on the real estate market, and people were a little confused about the interior style.—
TJ Macias
July 10,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
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Everyone was very confused about whether the watch’s band could be resized because only one kind of wrist was shown in the commercial.—
Seth Reiss,
New Yorker,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Guevara had warrants issued for his arrest in connection with charges of distracted driving, failing to obey a traffic control device and reckless driving, which were secured by the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office on June 20.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
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For employers, this means a labor force comprised of people who are anxious, distracted, or simply not there, said Stacy Greiner, CEO of on-demand pay platform DailyPay.—
Susan Caminiti,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
In a season-one episode, Taylor raised a concrete grate at Homestead 2 and suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
30 June 2025
-
The key, besides constant hydration, is to not get dizzy or distracted mid-flow.—
Aemilia Madden,
Glamour,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befuddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddled. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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