baffle — to confuse someone completely; to be too difficult or strange for someone to understand
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to confuse someone completely; to be too difficult or strange for someone to understand
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈbæf.əl/
Example Sentences
- The cat's ability to always land on its feet baffles physicists worldwide.
- His sudden disappearance from social media baffled his friends.
- The magic trick was so good that it baffled even the other magicians.
baffle
VERB[/ˈbæf.əl/]
to confuse someone completely; to be too difficult or strange for someone to understand

The smart detective was completely baffled to find the muddy footprints walking across the ceiling.

BUFF(muscular) + FLEA(bug) — watching a highly BUFF FLEA bench-press a gold coin completely baffled the scientist.

Expecting a sweet breakfast waffle, he received a live crab that began to completely baffle him.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Scottish French 'baffle' or 'baffler', possibly related to Old French 'bafer' meaning 'to mock' or 'to deceive'. The word entered English in the 16th century with the sense of 'to confuse' or 'to perplex'.
Breakdown
baffle (noun/verb root) - no common morpheme breakdown; the word is a simple root borrowed from French, though 'baffle' as a standalone morpheme means 'to confuse or perplex'
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The cat's ability to always land on its feet baffles physicists worldwide.”
“His sudden disappearance from social media baffled his friends.”
“The magic trick was so good that it baffled even the other magicians.”
“Why people put pineapple on pizza continues to baffle food critics.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
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