befuddle

[ bih-fuhd-l ]

See synonyms for: befuddle befuddled befuddles befuddling 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.

Origin of befuddle

First recorded in 1885–90; be- + fuddle

Other words for befuddle

1	perplex, bewilder, baffle, daze, muddle

See synonyms for befuddle on Thesaurus.com

Other words from befuddle

be·fud·dler, noun
be·fud·dle·ment, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use befuddle in a sentence

One veteran Democratic operative in the state found the event befuddling.
Iowa GOP's Quirky Volunteer Effort | Ben Jacobs | August 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
And opinions grew more virulent and befuddling on both sides.
Why We’re Not Ranking Rabbis | Gary Ginsberg, Michael Lynton, Abigail Pogrebin | February 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The greater part of the befuddling of Polonius then follows.
Dramatic Technique | George Pierce Baker
Have we no "mud-heads" befuddling life at every turn of the way?
Through Our Unknown Southwest | Agnes C. Laut

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

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