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
Bohumila shrugged with a look of befuddlement.
—
Zuzana Říhová, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
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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Multiple helpers can slow response during urgent scams and create confusion when fast decisions matter.—
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The category confusion continued this year.—
Noun
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Freezing fog makes driving, boating, flying, and other forms of transportation particularly hazardous.—
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Streetlights flickered before large parts of the city were plunged into darkness, as a thick fog settled over the streets and temperatures plummeted to –5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit).—
Noun
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The same bewilderment struck me again today, the morning after the finale premiered, when so many fellow critics took White’s ending to task, if not everything that preceded it.—
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Ironically, this state of cultural bewilderment is now typical of many of the experts who spend their lives studying American government.—
Cite this Entry
“Befuddlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befuddlement. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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