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
Americans and Brits, being less royalist and more empirical in temperament, are bewildered by the general French understanding that the top thinker is supposed to be imperious and maximalist.
—
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
She remains moved by a frank conversation with a boat captain in Copenhagen who was bewildered about people in the US having registries for honeymoons and also births.
—Rosie Bell, WIRED, 22 Sep. 2024
There is a frequent invocation of the Jews by right-wing Asian commentators, with conservatives from both groups bewildered by the liberal tendencies of their demographic as a whole.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
The Mayor of Rome was at first bewildered, and then ended up laughing about the Macron Doctrine regarding Emily Cooper’s destiny.
—Alan Friedman, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bewilder 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
She remains moved by a frank conversation with a boat captain in Copenhagen who was bewildered about people in the US having registries for honeymoons and also births.
—Rosie Bell, WIRED, 22 Sep. 2024
There is a frequent invocation of the Jews by right-wing Asian commentators, with conservatives from both groups bewildered by the liberal tendencies of their demographic as a whole.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
The Mayor of Rome was at first bewildered, and then ended up laughing about the Macron Doctrine regarding Emily Cooper’s destiny.
—Alan Friedman, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bewilder
Dictionary Entries Near bewilder
Cite this Entry
“Bewilder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bewilder. Accessed 29 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share