1
as in to deceive
to cause to believe what is untrue
bamboozled by con men into buying worthless land in the desert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
I'm completely bamboozled by the latest changes in the tax code
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of bamboozle
Someone might use their power to bamboozle you.
—
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2025
Mark Lippman, Boca Raton A message to young Democrats: You’ve been misled and bamboozled long enough.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2025
One moment against Inter highlighted this control perfectly, as Yamal dropped a shoulder and produced a perfect ‘Marseille turn’ to bamboozle two defenders.
—Matias Grez, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
The movie depicts Nashville as a town full of hayseeds who are bamboozled by the fast-talking Reynolds.
—Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bamboozle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bamboozle
Verb
-
To keep the most vulnerable safe, Ivan has to decide to confront the soldiers or deceive them at the potential cost of his life.—
-
Relying Too Much On Garbage Disposals Though the name may be deceiving, garbage disposals aren’t actually designed to dispose of all garbage.—
Verb
-
The 40-year-old cooks up ways to make quarterbacks miserable in his sleep, devising schemes that are meant to lure as much as they are intended to confuse.—
-
Canales-Pelaez said that local departments may be confusing administrative warrants with criminal ones, or overcomplying to avoid backlash from the state Legislature.—
Verb
-
One of the dangers of the Midwestern climate is a late-winter warm spell that thaws the soil and tricks bulbs and other plants into sprouting too early.—
-
Ukraine orchestrated a fake hit on one of Russia's enemies who has fought alongside Ukrainian forces, tricking the Kremlin into paying out a $500,000 bounty Kyiv used to fund its war effort.—
Verb
-
Experts on childhood disease were baffled by the change in guidance.—
-
Experts on childhood disease were baffled by the change in guidance.—
Verb
-
Don't be fooled by an ocean that looks calm.—
-
To Newton, the saga was a reminder of how, in the age of increasingly sophisticated and accessible generative AI, anyone online can easily and quickly fool even the most discerning content consumers.—
Verb
-
But unlike his Sophoclean namesake, Orestes is bewildered by this escalation and refuses.—
-
In April, the president was among those bewildered by his fall.—
Verb
-
The disjunction between the abstract composition and the notion of self-portraiture appeared perplexing in its own right; its inoperability only exacerbated the viewer’s frustration and redoubled the artist’s impish provocation.—
-
But the unknown in that equation is what perplexes the Mavericks and has the team stuck for now.—
Verb
-
Her mysterious symptoms puzzled doctors, at least one of whom suggested the pain was psychosomatic.—
-
Further study is also needed to untangle one puzzling finding.—
Cite this Entry
“Bamboozle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bamboozle. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share