bewildered 1 of 2

adjective

bi-ˈwil-dərd How to pronounce bewildered (audio)
Definition of bewilderednext
as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion the bewildered child wandered aimlessly around the playground

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bewildered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of bewilder
as in puzzled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the change in policy seems to have bewildered many of our customers

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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 bewildered
Adjective
Karl-Anthony Towns, who was on the podium with him, took off his glasses and looked at his teammate with a bewildered expression. — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026 Kelli cries over how solid the Mwangi unit is, praising Gerald as a father and husband and affirming that Shamea’s ass is real, while everyone else looks on, bewildered. — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 8 June 2026
Verb
Netizens were bewildered by the latest pivot, resulting in plenty of mockery on social media. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 16 Apr. 2026 But unlike his Sophoclean namesake, Orestes is bewildered by this escalation and refuses. — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bewildered
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bewildered
  1. dazed
  2. puzzled
  3. confused
  4. baffled
  5. stunned
  6. perplexed
  7. distracted
  8. dizzy
Adjective
  • Like Mahrez, Austria’s Marcel Sabitzer seemed slightly dazed following the topsy-turvy turn of events.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2026
  • Humans of all ages, in fact, stare dazed into glowing screens.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 19 June 2026
Definition of dazed
Verb
  • Pochettino seemed puzzled by the downcast tone of his post-match press conference.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 June 2026
  • Astronomers are puzzled that such a glaring inconsistency could have gone unnoticed in existing data, such as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), which provides our earliest snapshot of the universe.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 25 June 2026
Definition of puzzled
Adjective
  • In Timon, by contrast, everything is a rush, everything is broke-off and confused, everything is hurtling through suffering towards oblivion.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • But when non-negotiable tasks are framed as questions, children can become confused about whether the task is actually optional.
    — Siggie Cohen, CNBC, 4 July 2026
Definition of confused
Verb
  • Pz’ spends much of his proper debut, No Turning Back, equally baffled by his good fortune and ready to fasten it to his side with a Gucci strap before anyone else can take it.
    — Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 3 July 2026
  • His focus on the voting bill, instead of signing one that tackles a top issue for voters, has left some GOP strategists baffled.
    — David Hickey, NBC news, 2 July 2026
Definition of baffled
Adjective
  • And when Cape Verde’s Deroy Duarte evened the score with a right footed shot from a difficult angle at the 59-minute mark, the stunned stadium went silent, minus two small spirited clots of Cape Verde fans in the East end zone seats.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
  • Fans jumped up and down after Folarin Balogun punched in what seemed to be the game’s first goal near the 31-minute mark, then expressed stunned disbelief when the striker was deemed offsides.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of stunned
Verb
  • And Wednesday’s doubleheader — thanks to a Monday rainout that perplexed Counsell — certainly didn’t help the pitching staff.
    — Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
  • None of this is meant to demean Byram, who’ll likely now face extra scrutiny from a fanbase that’s surely perplexed by this move, especially once the Blackhawks extend his contract, possibly to the $10 million range.
    — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 24 June 2026
Definition of perplexed
Adjective
  • Some big rubber balls had been tossed in to keep them distracted.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • The problem, Larson said, is that Congress was highly distracted at the time with passing the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
Definition of distracted
Adjective
  • People with heat exhaustion typically feel dizzy, start sweating profusely, have a fast pulse and can feel sick.
    — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 2 July 2026
  • The 77-year-old American Idol judge complained about feeling dizzy during the opening night of the Sing a Song All Night Long Tour featuring Earth, Wind & Fire.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 25 June 2026
Definition of dizzy

Browse Nearby Words

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bewildered
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Cite this Entry

“Bewildered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bewildered. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bewildered

Nglish: Translation of bewildered for Spanish Speakers

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