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Synonyms

flummoxed

American  
[fluhm-uhkst] / ˈflʌm əkst /

adjective

  1. Informal. utterly bewildered, confused, or puzzled.

    When I walk into a store to buy video equipment and see the multitude of options, I’m befuddled and flummoxed.

verb

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of flummox.

Etymology

Origin of flummoxed

First recorded in 1835–40; flummox ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) flummoxed for def. 1, and flummox ( def. ) + -ed 1 flummoxed for def. 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It’s a question that completely flummoxed Michael Glasheen, the FBI’s branch and operations director, last week when he was testifying before the House Committee on Homeland Security.

From Salon • Dec. 21, 2025

The U.S. economy is expected to grow by 1.8% this year, notwithstanding policy shifts that have flummoxed economists and business leaders.

From Barron's • Dec. 11, 2025

Alicia Washington’s direction was clear, though she was understandably flummoxed about how to stage musician characters who don’t play their instruments and resorted to miming and posing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025

"I was flummoxed, then fuming about it. They seemed to dismiss the fact that the plane turned around," she said.

From BBC • Sep. 22, 2025

Gary, who seems as flummoxed by the emergence of Billy as I am, leans against the lockers and bangs his head softly against the steel.

From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.