bewilder
verb
be·wil·der
bi-ˈwil-dər 
bē-
bewildered; bewildering
bi-ˈwil-d(ə-)riŋ
bē-
1
: to cause to lose one's bearings (see bearing sense 6c)
bewildered by the city's maze of roads
2
: to perplex or confuse especially by a complexity, variety, or multitude of objects or considerations
His decision bewildered her.
utterly bewildered by the instructions
bewilderedly
adverb
bewilderedness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of bewilder in a Sentence
the change in policy seems to have bewildered many of our customers
Recent Examples on the Web
The guide starts moving, and LaPierre, bewildered, follows him.
—
Mike Spies, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2024
After thirty days of relative calm, I was bewildered by the total lack of personal time.
—Clarissa Wei, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2024
Each of them leaves us further bewildered and suspended in a state of suspense, wondering what is going to happen next.
—Mathew Holloway, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2024
These documentarians clarify cases that have bewildered and broken innocent people and authorities alike, exercising caution and empathy in equal measure, even when there are no clear answers.
—Eric Farwell, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2023
The parts in which Fat Joe plays Dr. Melfi to Jennifer Lopez’s Tony Soprano bewilder as intensely as the too-many scenes in which Jane Fonda, Trevor Noah, Keke Palmer, Post Malone, Kim Petras and Neil deGrasse Tyson (to pick merely six of a dozen names) bickeringly represent the astrological signs.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024
The back and forth continued for so long that another woman, looking bewildered, finally spoke up from the side.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2024
Baseball is often portrayed as a peculiar American game, but that portrayal would bewilder millions of Latin Americans and East Asians.
—Dominic Pino, National Review, 6 Feb. 2024
Casual fans tuning in to Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers may be bewildered by the onslaught of ads for betting sites and apps.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024
Mike Spies, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2024
After thirty days of relative calm, I was bewildered by the total lack of personal time.
—Clarissa Wei, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2024
Each of them leaves us further bewildered and suspended in a state of suspense, wondering what is going to happen next.
—Mathew Holloway, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2024
These documentarians clarify cases that have bewildered and broken innocent people and authorities alike, exercising caution and empathy in equal measure, even when there are no clear answers.
—Eric Farwell, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2023
The parts in which Fat Joe plays Dr. Melfi to Jennifer Lopez’s Tony Soprano bewilder as intensely as the too-many scenes in which Jane Fonda, Trevor Noah, Keke Palmer, Post Malone, Kim Petras and Neil deGrasse Tyson (to pick merely six of a dozen names) bickeringly represent the astrological signs.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024
The back and forth continued for so long that another woman, looking bewildered, finally spoke up from the side.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2024
Baseball is often portrayed as a peculiar American game, but that portrayal would bewilder millions of Latin Americans and East Asians.
—Dominic Pino, National Review, 6 Feb. 2024
Casual fans tuning in to Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers may be bewildered by the onslaught of ads for betting sites and apps.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bewilder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bewilder
Cite this Entry
“Bewilder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bewilder. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bewilder
verb
be·wil·der
bi-ˈwil-dər
bewildered; bewildering
-d(ə-)riŋ
: to confuse especially with a great many things to worry about
bewilderment
noun
-dər-mənt
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