BEWILDERED Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words

bewildered 1 of 2

adjective

bi-ˈwil-dərd

Definition of bewildered

as in dazed

suffering from mental confusion the bewildered child wandered aimlessly around the playground

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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

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 bewildered

Adjective

When kids first got online, parents were bewildered and alarmed, but kids, who tend to gravitate to new technology, found freedom in a space that was basically ungoverned. — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 On Douban, a popular Chinese movie-review platform, viewers piled on with mocking and bewildered comments. — ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

Verb

In Texas, Spain bewildered France, neutralising what has looked like the most formidable attack in the tournament. — Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 18 July 2026 Former Republican state senator Jeff Brandes, who now leads the Florida Policy Project, said he was bewildered by the governor's proposal. — Jim Defede, CBS News, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for bewildered

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bewildered

Adjective

But the man simply stood there with a dazed expression on his face, swaying gently in the living room of their small, cramped flat, like a lone tree in the breeze.

— Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Laiken Randolph appeared dazed, and possibly on drugs, officers remarked.

— Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of dazed

Verb

That the Houthis are able to score hits from 500 miles away, despite the Saudi military spending tens of billions of dollars on multi-layered air defense systems, has puzzled experts.

— Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 13 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 puzzled

Adjective

Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of confused thinking about this at campuses across the country.

— Jens Ludwig, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
The long road ahead After being charged with murder on Friday, Francis, dressed in a white Tyvek suit and appearing confused at court, said nothing as she was ordered held without bail for her daughter’s death.

— Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of confused

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 baffled

Adjective

It was released as the third of the three-pack of new albums Drake dropped to stunned audiences this May.

— Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026
As Bijan Robinson raced down the sideline and the rest of his Falcons teammates sprinted in pursuit, a mixture of an eerie hush and a stunned buzz fell over Caesars Superdome from a crowd still not entirely settled in its seats.

— Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of stunned

Verb

At Telluride, Fielder, who had initially planned to stay behind the scenes, admitted he was still perplexed by the couple’s openness.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 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 perplexed

Adjective

The operation then went city-wide and focused on speeding, distracted driving, pedestrian and bicycle-related violations, as well as unsafe movements and right-of-way violations.

— Coleman Petit, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
The invention’s intent was to cut down on distracted driving — in addition to the frustration of digging around under filthy car seats.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of distracted

Adjective

To that end, there are questions about whether Mayich and his teammates had access to sufficient water and the degree of attention ASU paid to his initial symptoms, including feeling dizzy.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Back in June, Richie cut a performance short after speaking on stage about feeling dizzy, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported at the time.

— Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of dizzy

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“Bewildered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bewildered. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bewildered

adjective

verb

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