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

Intricate pre-plotted plays befuddle defences with a blizzard of runners, while they shift the ball with a cardsharp's speed and dexterity.

From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2025

Unlike other opposing pitchers that befuddle Seattle’s swing-happy hitters with breaking balls, Woods Richardson challenged them with fastballs — and beat them.

From Seattle Times ● May 6, 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

Here’s what befuddles him right now: There isn’t much to fix regarding the way the Hurricanes are playing against the Florida Panthers.

From Washington Times ● May 23, 2023

Admit it, the Lakers have hitched their future to a guy who might never be consistently great, a guy who dazzles far less than he befuddles.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2023

Stagflation is the bitterest of economic pills: High inflation mixes with a weak job market to cause a toxic brew that punishes consumers and befuddles economists.

From Seattle Times ● May 26, 2022

He has constructed a glossy fever dream that bewitches as much as it befuddles.

From Salon ● May 20, 2022

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

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

But the day before contracts were exchanged Sarah received a phone call from her "befuddled" estate agent saying he had some bad news.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 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

Yet I feel like a befuddled novice, still grappling with the surprises.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026

Somewhere in my befuddled mind one thought connects to another and I'm on my feet, teetering through the trees back to Glimmer.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

It is the story, too, of a generation-long, befuddling decline in the prices of all kinds of things.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

Even when her film is utterly befuddling, it’s a joy to behold.

From Salon ● Mar. 8, 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

"Zhao's ban has been served and he is perfectly entitled to be competing again, but I've found the flowery language since his return somewhat befuddling given the circumstances," said snooker journalist Nick Metcalfe.

From BBC ● May 3, 2025

It was harder to feel scared of a lump of tea leaves away from the dim red light and befuddling perfume of Professor Trelawney’s classroom.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling