baffling 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of bafflingnext
as in perplexing

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baffling

2 of 3

noun

as in thwarting

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baffling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of baffle
1
as in frustrating
to prevent from achieving a goal the language barrier baffled everyone and discouraged us from attempting another teleconference

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2
as in puzzling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty she was baffled by the wording of the clause in the insurance policy

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of baffling
Adjective
The writing — and its sometimes baffling aversion to the source material — is at the heart of the problem, but there’s plenty of blame to go around, from hammy acting to a cartoonish tone that smothers the whole affair. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026 What’s particularly baffling was how relatively little content came out of the trip, according to The Verge, with almost none of it actually about OpenAI’s chief product, ChatGPT. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
Those who knew me found this baffling. — ArsTechnica, 25 May 2026 That said, the good outweighs the baffling. — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
Though some of the recent playoff defeats have been baffling and call for self-evaluation within the organization, the culture has been a huge net positive overall. — Jay King, New York Times, 1 June 2026 The slow starts are baffling to Becht. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for baffling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baffling
  1. perplexing
  2. thwarting
  3. frustrating
  4. puzzling
  5. confusing
  6. frustration
  7. hampering
  8. bewildering
Adjective
  • Bohm’s Phillies career has been sometimes frustrating, sometimes exciting, sometimes perplexing.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Orbital imagery has shown that unlike its heavily cratered sibling moon, Phobos, which means fear in ancient Greek, Deimos is much smoother — and covered in a perplexing layer of dust and rubble called regolith.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of perplexing
Noun
  • To simulate thwarting advances by enemy forces using the bridge, soldiers erected layers of barriers and rolled barbed wire.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The attack’s thwarting was an undeniable success.
    — Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Definition of thwarting
Verb
  • But Algo’s hyper-logical, computerised process of consistently picking the favourites to win was undone in the second match of the day, with Ghana frustrating England in a 0-0 draw.
    — The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 24 June 2026
  • The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Definition of frustrating
Verb
  • Over the course of her prolific career, Zambreno has written 10 books — each as puzzling and surprising as the last.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The bizarre body plan Before this discovery, there was a puzzling 80-million-year gap in the fossil record.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of puzzling
Adjective
  • Rich Dad, Poor Dad is a hodgepodge of financial advice and confusing diagrams held together by anecdotes from Kiyosaki’s childhood.
    — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Disability rights advocates fear the changes to special education oversight weaken the federal safety net for autistic students and others with disabilities, making these systems more confusing when families need help enforcing students’ rights.
    — Claire Sibonney, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusing
Noun
  • Acceptance moves you out of frustration and into a place of proactivity.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Troops in this area have sustained heavy casualties in battles with the regional Islamic State affiliate, and analysts and security sources say frustration with the government is mounting within frontline units.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustration
Verb
  • Birds visiting the feeder can get the goo on their wings, hampering their ability to fly and possibly leading to their untimely deaths.
    — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Rescuers will use an extrication device and a helicopter, Fathur said, adding that there were no reports of people missing and no challenges hampering the search.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of hampering
Verb
  • The threats are constantly evolving, layering upon themselves with bewildering speed.
    — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But these casting decisions are bewildering, to say the least, and will certainly cost the film ticket sales and potential revenue.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of bewildering

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baffles
baffling
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Cite this Entry

“Baffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baffling. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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