as in to perplex
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
an actor who's easily flummoxed by any changes in the script
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Recent Examples of flummox
When asked to cross-match a photo of Woody from 1945 with one from 1965, the computer was flummoxed.
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Shaun Raviv, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2020
Trump’s tariff obsession flummoxes conventional economists, who see it as a potentially disastrous driver of inflation and trade wars.
—Bruce J. Schulman / Made By History, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024
Scribes and touts were flummoxed: What happened out there?
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Instead, the Atlantic Ocean is enveloped in a rare and strange calm that has flummoxed forecasters and reset their expectations.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flummox 
Shaun Raviv, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2020
Trump’s tariff obsession flummoxes conventional economists, who see it as a potentially disastrous driver of inflation and trade wars.
—Bruce J. Schulman / Made By History, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024
Scribes and touts were flummoxed: What happened out there?
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
Instead, the Atlantic Ocean is enveloped in a rare and strange calm that has flummoxed forecasters and reset their expectations.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flummox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flummox
Verb
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As a nearly life-long Democrat from a fifth-generation Kansas family farm, a family of Trump supporters, and married to a self-professed, ultra-MAGA Trumper, I’m perplexed.Ted Trimpa, The Denver Post, 12 Nov. 2024
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They were perplexed, but their relationship with their son was already rocky.Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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As China threatened to retaliate with tariffs on imports of German cars, Berlin turned on Brussels and voted against the measures—a move that left many European policymakers baffled.Agathe Demarais, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2024
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Lambert’s friend Kilcullen remains baffled that the judge keeps delaying the sentencing hearings.Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The team wants Alex Mill to be more of a household name brand without getting too big to manage properly, or so expansive as to confuse the customer with many fashion messages.David Moin, WWD, 18 Nov. 2024
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San Francisco sued Oakland for infringing its airport’s trademarks in April, arguing the Oakland airport’s similar new name would confuse travelers.Reuters, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Yet many observers have been puzzled by the absence of any practical Israeli plan for ending the conflict, particularly one that might lead to a lasting political settlement.Mohanad Hage Ali, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2024
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German carmakers bet big on the EV revolution, if later than competitors, and have been left puzzled by slowing growth after initial widespread uptake.BYRyan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The lack of consistent officiating has long been a pet peeve within the garage, to the point that drivers are often befuddled as to what constitutes a penalty and what doesn’t.Jeff Gluck, The Athletic, 16 Aug. 2024
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After Pakman explains the way tariffs harm American companies, Kelly seems befuddled.Allison Morrow, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near flummox
Cite this Entry
“Flummox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flummox. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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