bewildering 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of bewilderingnext
as in perplexing

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Dissimilar Words

bewildering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bewilder
as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the change in policy seems to have bewildered many of our customers

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 bewildering
Adjective
Over the last few months, Instagram has added a slew of features that are helpful for creators, but that might seem slightly bewildering to everyone else. — Mia Sato, The Verge, 21 July 2026 The act behind the most bewildering ambient techno of the past 15 years is not a shadowy syndicate or group of evil geniuses. — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026
Verb
There aren’t many ways to earn a club’s first win better than bewildering the league’s defending champions at their place. — Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026 McNutt housed some 700 kids — about one-third of the population of French Lick — and Bird found the campus outside the dormitory walls bewildering. — Keith O'Brien, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bewildering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bewildering
  1. perplexing
  2. baffling
  3. confusing
  4. puzzling
  5. confounding
  6. muddled
  7. frustrating
  8. disorganized
Adjective
  • Not Kendall, nor Candle, but a third, even more perplexing name for a dog.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The moves to offload Dejan Joveljic and part with Manu Garcia were perplexing.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of perplexing
Verb
  • Their admirable determination makes Diamantis’ flight from the United States baffling for us and humiliating for them.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The sequel, on the other hand, is shaped by baffling decisions from director Susanne Bier and cinematographer Simon Duggan that render the film antiseptic.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of baffling
Adjective
  • Letting go of genre might sound confusing when the album’s named Popstar, but to Tinashe, a pop star is so much more than a genre label.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In recent years, homeowners, developers and businesses have complained that navigating the Planning Department can be complicating and confusing.
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of confusing
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
  • Around the Street -The financial press is doing an admirable job of puzzling through the confluence of causes of the brutal global bond-market rout, without pretending to arrive at a discrete cause.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of puzzling
Adjective
  • Its study of dark matter and dark energy could also give scientists new insights into two of the most confounding puzzles in astronomy.
    — Denise Chow, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Grief is one of the most confounding aspects of the human experience.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of confounding
Adjective
  • Made with gin, Campari, lemon, simple syrup, and muddled white grapes, it was created in 2001 by Vincenzo Errico in London.
    — Amy Cavanaugh, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Garfield, sensitive and earthy, is our bellwether as the events descend into bloody carnage dictated by muddled agendas.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of muddled
Adjective
  • The frustrating part is that the offense has been really good.
    — Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Cowboys are one of the more frustrating teams in football.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of frustrating
Adjective
  • The findings paint a picture of a response marred by poor preparation, communication issues and disorganized leadership that struggled to coordinate between jurisdictions.
    — Evan Bush, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Chaos ruled the Eaton fire’s incident command Even if on-the-ground reports of a burning west Altadena had reached the Rose Bowl base, the incident command located there was disorganized and chaotic, the report found.
    — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of disorganized

Browse Nearby Words

bewilderedness
bewildering
bewilderment
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Cite this Entry

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

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