discombobulate

verb

dis·​com·​bob·​u·​late ˌdis-kəm-ˈbä-b(y)ə-ˌlāt 

discombobulated; discombobulating; discombobulates

transitive verb

informal

: to cause to be in a state of confusion : upset, disorient

… inventing cool new ways to discombobulate the old order.

—Kurt Andersen

Executives of other NHL clubs are hopping mad at St. Louis president Jack Quinn and general manager Ron Caron for once again discombobulating the NHL's salary structure.

—Austin Murphy

… his determination to discombobulate the bourgeoise was not regarded as a joke.

—George Levine

see also discombobulated

discombobulating adjective

If it has been an unsettling season for all NFL players, it has been absolutely discombobulating for the Raiders …

—Ron Fimrite

Penn sent a discombobulating array of material to incoming freshmen over the summer.

—Ben Adler

discombobulation

ˌdis-kəm-ˌbä-b(y)ə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

A winding drive through the rural areas, twisting and turning to the point of discombobulation, until, emerging around a final left turn, a clearing presents itself.

—Micah Redfield

Synonyms

• addle
• baffle
• bamboozle
• beat
• befog
• befuddle
• bemuse
• bewilder
• buffalo
• confound
• confuse
• disorient
• flummox
• fox
• fuddle
• get
• gravel
• maze
• muddle
• muddy
• mystify
• perplex
• pose
• puzzle
• vex

Examples of discombobulate in a Sentence

our grandmother seems a bit discombobulated by all of this birthday fuss

Recent Examples on the Web

For myriad reasons, the passing attack was discombobulated and unreliable. —Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2023

UConn made 17-of-28 shots in the first half for a 46-29 lead and fired with a 30-point margin early in the second half before Arkansas’ full-court press discombobulated the Huskies for a few possessions. —Richard Morin, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2023

Meantime, the Spartans looked completely discombobulated on offense, with errant passes, flying wide and disrupting the flow. —Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 22 Feb. 2023

And ceremonies often deliberately discombobulate initiates, especially the ones who don’t know they’re being inducted. —Helen Shaw, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2022

Word History

Etymology

probably alteration of discompose

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

discombobulate

verb

dis·​com·​bob·​u·​late ˌdis-kəm-ˈbäb-yə-ˌlāt 

-ə-

informal

: upset entry 1 sense 3a, confuse