bamboozled
Americanadjective
-
deceived through trickery, flattery, or the like; hoodwinked.
He feels there’s been a cover-up by the manufacturer and it’s his duty to bring it to the attention of a bamboozled public.
-
perplexed, mystified, or confused.
I must have had a very bamboozled look on my face, because she gave me an impatient "What’s your problem, lady?"
verb
Etymology
Origin of bamboozled
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.
He infuriated observers by constantly changing systems and selections, leaving players bamboozled.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
Young adults aren’t confused or bamboozled by the risks they’re taking.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025
He has a well-earned reputation among journalists as a perpetual skeptic, someone who refuses to be bamboozled by hype, cope, spin, and anything in between.
From Slate • Nov. 5, 2025
The tail was exposed to Bumrah, who nailed a yorker to Carse and bamboozled Woakes.
From BBC • Jul. 13, 2025
He’d either bamboozled me or had a little fun, neither of which was the outcome I’d hoped for.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
