as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
our grandmother seems a bit discombobulated by all of this birthday fuss
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Recent Examples of discombobulate
To completely discombobulate him, someone like me heaving all over him with lips and eyes and bosom, to turn this nerd.
—
Vulture, 29 Dec. 2022
Authorities said a beam of light aimed at an aircraft could discombobulate and even temporarily blind the pilot in the cockpit.
—Matt Bruce, ajc, 30 July 2022
Scientists have known for years about bony fish, sharks, worms, jellies, corals, and other marine creatures that light up to attract mates, lure prey, or discombobulate predators.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2021
These molecular tests search the genomic manuscript with about as much precision as the Ctrl+F function on a computer, which means that even single-letter typos—that is, simple RNA mutations—can discombobulate them.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 June 2021
See All Example Sentences for discombobulate
Vulture, 29 Dec. 2022
Authorities said a beam of light aimed at an aircraft could discombobulate and even temporarily blind the pilot in the cockpit.
—Matt Bruce, ajc, 30 July 2022
Scientists have known for years about bony fish, sharks, worms, jellies, corals, and other marine creatures that light up to attract mates, lure prey, or discombobulate predators.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2021
These molecular tests search the genomic manuscript with about as much precision as the Ctrl+F function on a computer, which means that even single-letter typos—that is, simple RNA mutations—can discombobulate them.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 June 2021
See All Example Sentences for discombobulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discombobulate
Verb
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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
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While some stars dazzle in their glamorous attire, others have stumbled into the realm of fashion faux pas, leaving audiences bewildered.—
WWD Staff,
WWD,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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No one was going to confuse Colossal with the Sierra Club.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
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Few foods confuse foreign visitors quite like brunost, Norwegian brown cheese.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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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
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Dahl was especially perplexed by the response to Evans’s fall.—
Ronan Farrow,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Mathematicians have finally solved a geometry problem that has puzzled the field for decades.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
7 Apr. 2025
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Finding today's Connections puzzle a little bit tricky?—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Trump administration appears to be leaving no stone unturned with its sweeping tariffs around the globe, from rocky outcrops home to polar bears in the Arctic to tiny tropical islands to a former British penal colony whose leader is befuddled that it was targeted.—
Rod Mcguirk and Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2025
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As such, Hackman's turn as a private investigator befuddled by the disappearance of a former movie star's daughter was, for many years, mostly forgotten despite the actor scoring a BAFTA nomination for the performance.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discombobulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discombobulate. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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