befuddle

The absurdist’s power rests in their ability to befuddle and bewilder, trusting the joke will land with the right folks and insult their target’s intelligence.

From Salon ● May 21, 2026

Today’s pitchers befuddle hitters with velocity and spin rate while exiting before 100 pitches.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

He says he has drawn on classic police interrogation techniques to befuddle chatbots and get them to "crack".

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2025

Even in the sunlight, the shadows and glare can befuddle landing cameras and sensors.

From National Geographic ● Jan. 8, 2024

Jason wondered if Piper was working some sort of Aphrodite magic on him—like maybe every time he mentioned Reyna’s name, she would befuddle him so much he couldn’t think about anything but Piper.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

It still befuddles me whenever I think of it, but why the heck is bacon packaging so incredibly un-user-friendly?

From Salon ● Jan. 14, 2023

“Something better” is a mind-set that befuddles many first-time buyers.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 20, 2022

Much of what befuddles in “The Green Knight” is of the “What did I just see?” variety.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2021

The chief concern is whether hostile countries are fielding aerial technology so advanced and weird that it befuddles and threatens the world’s largest military power.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 4, 2021

Grape-growers are not in the fog that befuddles growers of tree-fruits in regard to tillage.

From Manual of American Grape-Growing by U. P. Hedrick

“There’s a beetle that emerges on the cusp of summer. It has lots of colors. Blue, gold, purple. It looks like a turtle,” she tells a befuddled Rhaenyra.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026

Bryan Cranston transitioned from befuddled dad Hal to lethal drug lord Walter White in “Breaking Bad.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

When Jay goes on to paraphrase “Baldwin” on the subject of white racism, Leigh is befuddled: “Alec Baldwin’s black?” he sputters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

One zoomer Republican operative in Washington was befuddled at how Butterworth’s had become such a destination: “A bunch of conservatives just decided it would be our place and I don’t understand why.”

From Slate ● Mar. 10, 2026

Laurie opened her eyes, lifted her head and showed two teeth in a befuddled smile.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

The film — where Jessie Buckley plays three characters, each with their own frenzied personality — may be tonally imbalanced and, at times, utterly befuddling.

From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026

Many of the most befuddling stocks reviewed by Barron’s are holding companies incorporated in the Cayman Islands or the British Virgin Islands with investors or subsidiaries that are also Caribbean holding companies.

From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 2025

But as any shopper will tell you, finding the right one can be befuddling, especially in today’s jargon-cluttered marketplace.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025

That anyone remembers he played at all is both flattering and befuddling for Ardell, who receives about a dozen autograph requests in the mail each year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2025

He cocked his head, tapping his lower lip as though he found the concept absolutely befuddling.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros