as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion
my brain grew more and more addle as I made my way through the tax instructions
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
after slipping on the ice, Bethany was so addled that she left her groceries where they'd fallen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of addle
Ann Hornaday, Twin Cities, 25 July 2019
Vulture, 31 Jan. 2024
Famously formerly addled but now sober and with new management, Adams played a five-show East Coast solo run, including at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
—Matt Wake | [email protected], al, 30 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for addle
Adjective
Soon enough, the foursome are in the back of that truck in an adventure that begins as a moneymaking scheme and promises to become a heroic journey into the heart of white supremacy at its most virulent and addle-minded.
—Ann Hornaday, Twin Cities, 25 July 2019
Verb
Writer’s block was extreme, and the alcohol had addled his mind.
—Vulture, 31 Jan. 2024
Famously formerly addled but now sober and with new management, Adams played a five-show East Coast solo run, including at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
—Matt Wake | [email protected], al, 30 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for addle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for addle
Adjective
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Case in point: his goal for Portugal Under-17s against Morocco in September 2023, a ludicrous solo effort that left a trail of dazed defenders scratching their heads and wondering what the hell had just happened.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Sea lions and dolphins have been observed rigid with seizures, acting dazed and confused.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Across the street, her husband Steve, who nursed Molly through her first fight with breast cancer a few years earlier, sits bewildered in the office of their couples therapist.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 Mar. 2025
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Carlie thinks the whole thing is hilarious, and Chelsea remains bewildered by any King Cake Baby obsession.—
Chelsea Brasted,
Axios,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In the two years since Tommy Elliott was killed in a mass shooting, Maryanne Elliott’s grief has, in turns, left her aghast and overwhelmed, bewildered and incapacitated, grateful and wanting to die.—
Kristina Goetz,
USA Today,
13 Apr. 2025
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In the now-viral video, the tuxedo cat crawls out from under the bed, wide-eyed and bewildered.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Two endangered whales are baffling researchers by continuing to show up along a stretch of U.S coast that is not part of their turf, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2025
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The haphazard cuts to major projects in red states like Ohio baffled some stakeholders.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The distracted driver hit two cars, both heading west, after reportedly going left of center, OSHP's Chardon Post Trooper William Head confirmed, per the outlet.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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That's changed as more parents fear the morning rush of traffic and distracted drivers.—
Linh Ta,
Axios,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Pritzker’s roughly 10-minute interview followed a week when Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs roiled stock markets and left American investors, businesses and the nation’s trading partners perplexed about what the president is attempting to achieve.—
Dan Petrella,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Apr. 2025
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Curious onlookers can expect to catch a glimpse of the full moon's peak at 8:22 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 12, 2025, yet the lack of a rosy hue may leave many people perplexed.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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As Chelsea, Wood widens her eyes and slants her eyebrows up when confused, bares her teeth and scrunches her whole face in terror, and barely contains her smile when smitten.—
Ashliene McMenamy,
Allure,
8 Apr. 2025
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Harris emphasizes nothing has yet changed but customers remain confused as to the status of the incentive and Harbinger’s IRA Risk Free Guarantee was created to mitigate that confusion.—
Ed Garsten,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Hippler said in the new order bringing more attention to it in opening statements and through expert testimony would add more time to the already lengthy trial and probably confuse the jury.—
Jean Casarez,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
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Snakeheads are often confused with a native species—the bowfin—but anglers can tell them apart by looking at the anal fin, which is much longer on a snakehead.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Addle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/addle. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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