as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
the library patron was in obvious befuddlement over where to find the appropriate references
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Recent Examples of befuddlement
While some American commentators voiced befuddlement or disdain toward Europe’s low rates of air conditioning, France’s far right seized on the moment to criticize the government and push a plan for widespread AC installation, bringing the issue into the culture war zeitgeist.
—
J.d. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
28 June 2026
His bamboozlement, nay, his flabbergastery, NAY, his befuddlement are entirely justified.
—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
Clueless to the format of the (very real) interview show (answering questions while eating ever-increasing spicy hot wings), Cherish’s exasperation, befuddlement, and visceral agony is a comic wonder to watch.
—
Jennifer Silverman,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
And at that point, ushered into the floating mists of non-consensus with murmurings of political unease regarding content or intellectual befuddlement regarding style, the briefly sighted, singular beast of language vanishes from the visible landscape.
—
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Tunnel fits have become so valuable that the teams themselves post them on official social media channels, to the delight (and sometimes befuddlement) of fans.
—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
J.d. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
28 June 2026
His bamboozlement, nay, his flabbergastery, NAY, his befuddlement are entirely justified.
—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
Clueless to the format of the (very real) interview show (answering questions while eating ever-increasing spicy hot wings), Cherish’s exasperation, befuddlement, and visceral agony is a comic wonder to watch.
—
Jennifer Silverman,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
And at that point, ushered into the floating mists of non-consensus with murmurings of political unease regarding content or intellectual befuddlement regarding style, the briefly sighted, singular beast of language vanishes from the visible landscape.
—
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Tunnel fits have become so valuable that the teams themselves post them on official social media channels, to the delight (and sometimes befuddlement) of fans.
—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befuddlement
Noun
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Mercury stations retrograde in Cancer in your 11th House of Friends and Community, bringing old invitations, group-chat confusion, or unclear expectations back into focus.
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In it, the author described a culture of confusion, stress, and incompetence, as contractors competed for work to be completed under near-impossible deadlines.
Noun
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When Ian Happ made the final out of the frame, the umpires convened and called a delay, a rare stoppage because of the fog-shrouded Wrigley Field.
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Dense fog shrouded the Golden Gate Bridge and masked the city's fireworks display.
Noun
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There is, however, a sense of bewilderment in Britain as to how things went wrong so quickly.
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His castmate Geena Davis expressed her own bewilderment at the cancellation to Deadline’s sister publication, The Hollywood Reporter, earlier this week.
Cite this Entry
“Befuddlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddlement. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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