baffle 1 of 2

baffle

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb baffle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of baffle are balk, foil, frustrate, and thwart. While all these words mean "to check or defeat another's plan or block achievement of a goal," baffle implies frustration by confusing or puzzling.

baffled by the maze of rules and regulations

When would balk be a good substitute for baffle?

While in some cases nearly identical to baffle, balk suggests the interposing of obstacles or hindrances.

officials felt that legal restrictions had balked their efforts to control crime

When can foil be used instead of baffle?

Although the words foil and baffle have much in common, foil implies checking or defeating so as to discourage further effort.

foiled by her parents, he stopped trying to see her

Where would frustrate be a reasonable alternative to baffle?

The synonyms frustrate and baffle are sometimes interchangeable, but frustrate implies making vain or ineffectual all efforts however vigorous or persistent.

frustrated attempts at government reform

When is thwart a more appropriate choice than baffle?

The words thwart and baffle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, thwart suggests frustration or checking by crossing or opposing.

the army thwarted his attempt at a coup

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 baffle
Verb
Given that flats and sneakers appear to have become the norm for younger generations, many of them are baffled at how millennials even managed to wear heels. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025 MacKenzie Gore baffled all of them for the first six innings. Matt Gelb, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
There was debris on a plastic baffle plate inside the ice machine. Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 21 Mar. 2025 The 3-inch down topper has a 750-fill power which is distributed evenly with a three-dimensional baffle box stitching and encased in a cotton sateen shell. Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for baffle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baffle
Verb
  • The team settled on a patient with SD Autism Spectrum disorder who had an ankle sprain but frustrated Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) with his endless questions.
    Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Although so highly esteemed, the notoriously taciturn director would often frustrate his colleagues by his reticence to explain his directorial intentions.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Noun
  • The Golden Gate Bridge District also hired a consultant after last year’s Key Bridge collapse to assess how the South Tower fender system would perform in the event of a ship collision.
    Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2025
  • The table above suggests that the conditions are ripe for another price crash, albeit perhaps a fender-bender.
    Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • Carlie thinks the whole thing is hilarious, and Chelsea remains bewildered by any King Cake Baby obsession.
    Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 20 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Regular vacuuming and spot-cleaning between deep washes will help preserve outdoor cushions, says Barnard. 5.
    Kara McGinley, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Notably, JPMorgan has added nearly half a billion dollars to its financial cushion, preparing for losses from customers who won’t be able to pay credit card debts and loans.
    Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Rob Lowe was recently confused for another celebrity during a Hollywood bus tour.
    Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • For decades, audiences have confused the two for one another — a line that's gotten all the more blurry as the Grammy winner launched her acting career and the Emmy winner began singing in multiple projects, including her turn as Sally Bowles in the 2014 Broadway revival of Cabaret.
    Dave Quinn, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • With it, Jeep has taken a four-door Rubicon and chopped off the back half of the cabin to make the bed even bigger and added several pieces of custom hardware, including new front bumper and a roll bar with a four-light array.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2025
  • O’Neill Clubs are usually hesitant in handing out bumper contracts to attackers on the wrong side of thirty, and with good reason.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Mathematicians have finally solved a geometry problem that has puzzled the field for decades.
    Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Finding today's Connections puzzle a little bit tricky?
    John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Baffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baffle. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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