bemusement

noun

Definition of bemusementnext
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty an expression of utter bemusement

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 bemusement Erika looks on with the malevolent bemusement of a college cheerleader coming back to homecoming to judge her old high school squad. — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026 Just across the street from the Golf Course Terrace home, a few Bermuda grass lawns had actual weeds sprouting up — a source of bemusement for the homeowner. — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026 But there was a kind of bemusement with our fascination with the Wild West and our fixation on cowboys, and a sense that America has gone off the rails. — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026 While not a good show by any stretch of the imagination — and there are many stretches to be made here — the Netflix series does manage to conjure so-bad-its-good bemusement. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 June 2026 The Professional can certainly be understood as a nonlinear narrative of an artist on the peripheries of music, navigating a world far from home with equal parts amusement and bemusement. — Levi Dayan, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026 To friends and strangers alike, our unusual authorly posture—two spouses, both with academic backgrounds but neither presently working in academia, teaming up to write a trade book on a literary subject—is a source of bemusement. — Literary Hub, 2 June 2026 Originally greeted with bemusement, Pratt is now upending the race with early voting underway ahead of the June 2 election. — Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 13 May 2026 He was given considerable access to the behind-the-scenes activities of the show’s production and to many of its stars and staff, none of whom have much to say beyond expressing bemusement at some of Michaels’ personal quirks and habits or praise for his taste in comedy. — Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bemusement
  1. confusion
  2. fog
  3. bewilderment
  4. bafflement
Noun
  • The company, which offers credit cards used to make rent and mortgage payments, had fumbled a critical transition, leading to confusion and financial stress for its customers.
    — Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Aggregators typically disclose this information in their search filters, and knowing it in advance avoids confusion on arrival.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusion
Noun
  • This horror movie mostly just smelled of fake fog from a community theater production and occasionally you were startled by random bursts of air, once again pulling you from the events on screen.
    — Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Tech has crept into every facet of everyday life, like an invisible fog of ones and zeros.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fog
Noun
  • After an exceptionally long pause, during which Affleck looked around the room in bewilderment, a drum roll signaled their victory.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2026
  • Researchers who received the letter from AHRQ Director Roger Klein expressed bewilderment because much of their work has the same objectives that Klein highlighted as the agency’s current priorities.
    — Arthur Allen, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
Definition of bewilderment
Noun
  • But those willing to pay can suffer betrayals and bafflements of their own.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
  • The result is an incredible repository of vexations, bafflements, witticisms, and brilliancies.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Definition of bafflement

Browse Nearby Words

bemused
bemusement
bemusements
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Cite this Entry

“Bemusement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemusement. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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