as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
his complete bafflement as to the point of the joke was in itself funny
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Recent Examples of bafflement
There are black-and-white scenes from what appears to be a cracked Biblical drama featuring a levitating monk and, to the particular bafflement of the producer, a dancing Pulcinella.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
If the book’s prismatic structure and subjective immediacy feel baffling to encounter, that is because bafflement is the point.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
If the book’s prismatic structure and subjective immediacy feel baffling to encounter, that is because bafflement is the point.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bafflement
Noun
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The 30-hour search for a suspect Across the country, the killing of the prominent political figure and media personality – the latest in a string of political violence incidents – had sowed shock and confusion.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
-
In one notable instance, antipathy toward business has led to confusion and unnecessary tension.—
Kerry Jackson,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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If driving in dense fog, use low beam headlights, slow down, and leave plenty of distance between vehicles.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Pan’s final pages are a kaleidoscope of phantasmagoria and philosophic bewilderment, a refusal of closure and clarity that is seemingly—and fittingly—designed to give readers a heavy dose of, to use the clinical term, derealization.—
Scott Stossel,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
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When that turned into mass annihilation, the most frequent Israeli excuse was the population’s state of shock, trauma, exhaustion and bewilderment, the sensation of being under threat from outsiders and in imminent danger.—
Uriel Kon
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bafflement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bafflement. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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