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befuddle

[ bih-fuhd-l ]
/ bɪˈfʌd l /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR befuddle ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), be·fud·dled, be·fud·dling.

to confuse, as with glib statements or arguments: politicians befuddling the public with campaign promises.
to make stupidly drunk.

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What’s The Difference Between “i.e.” And “e.g.”?They may be small, but their power to befuddle writers and speakers of the English language is mighty.
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The Curious Chronicle Of The Letter CThe English language is infamously difficult in part because its spelling befuddles even native speakers as letters take on different sounds depending on what letters surround it. Few letters exemplify this trouble more than the third letter of the English alphabet: C. Think about these words: cease, coin, chic, indict, and discrepancy. In this string of terms, C sounds like S, K, Sh, and in …
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Words related to befuddle

dumbfound, bewilder, puzzle, muddle, distract, baffle, daze, stupefy, fluster, intoxicate, disorient, inebriate, bother, addle, shake

Words nearby befuddle

before you know it, beforehand, beforetime, befoul, befriend, befuddle, beg, beg off, beg the question, beg to differ, beg, borrow, or steal

Origin of befuddle

First recorded in 1885–90; be- + fuddle

OTHER WORDS FROM befuddle

be·fud·dler, nounbe·fud·dle·ment, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for befuddle

British Dictionary definitions for befuddle

befuddle
/ (bɪˈfʌdəl) /

verb (tr)

to confuse, muddle, or perplex
to make stupid with drink

Derived forms of befuddle

befuddlement, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012