baffled

adjective

baf·​fled ˈba-fəld How to pronounce baffled (audio)
1
: extremely confused or puzzled
… his explanation of a piano's key action will leave you more baffled than before.Martin Levine
Molecular biologists became even more baffled when they looked at the messenger RNAs: many of the molecules were longer than the DNA from which they had been transcribed.John Rennie
In Miss Kate's eyes there was a troubled, baffled look …Edna Ferber
We have all heard novelists testify to the fact that, beginning a new book, they are utterly baffled as to how to proceed …Donald Barthelme
2
: equipped with a baffle
Ventilation openings are baffled to prevent stray light from reaching the operator's eyes …Bausch & Lomb Catalog
A baffled fuel cell keeps the weight in place.Kevin Falvey

Examples of baffled in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Perhaps this played better at home, but in the room, there was a baffled silence, barring pockets of laughter for the contributions from Stanley Tucci and Dame Judi Dench. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2024 Sharon starts with small selfless acts, much to the baffled chagrin of Michelle’s grieving widower father, Ed (Alan Ritchson), cutting hair for a charity fundraiser, organizing the family’s mounting bills and babysitting Michelle and her slightly older sister, Ashley (Skywalker Hughes). Courtney Howard, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024 Smart still looks deeply baffled and is clearly not convinced. Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023 The trial was an attempt to bring an ending, at last, to a mystery that had tortured her family and baffled strangers, including me. Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2023 The insulation is a reflective film, with a baffled air chamber design, which helps keep it quiet. WIRED, 18 June 2023 The removal of the $347 million project, nearly half of which would be funded from UW-Madison donors, baffled members of the business community that are struggling to hire enough engineers. Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 13 June 2023 Tech aficionados and baffled bystanders, brace yourselves; the world is about to change. Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2023 The ending left me a little baffled and wanting to discuss! Marie Claire, 1 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'baffled.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of baffled was in 1606

Dictionary Entries Near baffled

Cite this Entry

“Baffled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baffled. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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