bamboozle

verb

bam-ˈbü-zəl How to pronounce bamboozle (audio)
Definition of bamboozlenext
1
as in to deceive
to cause to believe what is untrue bamboozled by con men into buying worthless land in the desert

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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

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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 But if Rodgers and Newton are right about fake vaccination cards being a thing around the NFL at the time, there was apparently much bamboozling being done by a number of people. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Watch Daizen Maeda’s strike against Sweden, a delightful one- and two-touch passing move that bamboozled the opposition defense. — David Hickey, NBC news, 29 June 2026 To enter this anniversary uncritically — wrapped in flags and the mythology of manifest destiny — is to be bamboozled. — Otis Moss Iii, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026 Authentic leaders don’t bamboozle or swindle their teams with stories that aren't true. — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 7 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bamboozle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bamboozle
  1. deceive
  2. confuse
  3. trick
  4. baffle
  5. fool
  6. bewilder
  7. perplex
  8. puzzle
Verb
  • But 3-0 marks can be deceiving heading into a battle of unbeatens at home against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Boulder County accused the fossil fuel companies of deceiving the general public about the dangers of their oil and gas operations and the associated greenhouse gas emissions through their advertising and marketing.
    — Callie Patteson, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of deceive
Verb
  • At last week's race in Azerbaijan, Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas crashed on the last lap and reportedly blamed it on the software becoming confused and affecting his braking.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Immigrant parents there wanted help writing to their kids’ teachers and making sense of confusing forms.
    — Steven Choi, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • RatHat relies heavily on tricking someone into installing a malicious Android app and approving powerful permissions.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In 1943, the British intelligence service, MI6, came up with a wacky strategy to trick Adolf Hitler into thinking the Allies planned to invade Greece and Sardinia (not true) instead of Sicily (true), which Nazi Germany was heavily defending.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of trick
Verb
  • Beyond being frustrated with the secrecy, locals said they were baffled by the lack of specifics and clarity the stakeholders had about the project, per the records.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • And just last month, officials in Millcreek, Utah, were baffled to find an unknown camera installed on city property that neither the city nor police requested.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of baffle
Verb
  • In April 1943, Operation Mincemeat used a corpse carrying fake invasion plans to fool Hitler into thinking the Allies would strike Greece rather than Sicily.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • But don’t be fooled by the fluidity, the tablet itself isn’t paper (or even E Ink).
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of fool
Verb
  • Latif is conflicted by his double life, bewildered by his doubling of parental responsibilities, constantly trying to think two moves ahead yet always ending up three steps behind.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Dan emerges as Primetime’s unlikely heart, bewildered by the dark world he’s wandered into and left to negotiate his ambitions with the high stakes of the job.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of bewilder
Verb
  • California‘s seven Supreme Court justices appeared by turns perplexed by and incredulous of those theories during oral arguments last month.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • They were perplexed at first, flummoxed, but pleasant, and unfortunately for them, already long gone from the airport.
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of perplex
Verb
  • Overrun with puzzling plot points, several cameos and a bloated supporting cast, the series fails to stick the landing.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
  • He was puzzled when, after 2021, the number of children going into foster care dropped, but the state's costs for child welfare were rising.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of puzzle

Browse Nearby Words

bambinos
bamboozle
bamboozled
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Cite this Entry

“Bamboozle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bamboozle. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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