flummox

verb

flum·​mox ˈflə-məks How to pronounce flummox (audio)
-miks
flummoxed; flummoxing; flummoxes

transitive verb

: confuse
He was flummoxed by the legal jargon.
a hapless innocent who had been flummoxed by wily city slickersAndy Logan

Did you know?

No one is completely sure where the word flummox comes from, but Charles Dickens was aware of it and used it in his 1837 novel The Pickwick Papers. It became quite common in both British and American English by the end of the 19th century.

Examples of flummox in a Sentence

an actor who's easily flummoxed by any changes in the script
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Dozens of stunt drivers from across Ohio converged on Cleveland late last month, setting off fireworks, blocking intersections, doing doughnuts and intimidating passing motorists in a series of simultaneous street takeovers that flummoxed local law enforcement. Sam Allard, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024 When those pressures are sharp and palpable (Jenna Lyons has a specifically New York form of celebrity that flummoxes the more traditional housewife models on the RHONY reboot), the show is fun. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2024 And the defense is a serious unit, shutting down the Texans a week after flummoxing the 49ers. Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 23 Sep. 2024 The Trump-Vance campaign has seemed flummoxed at times in its response to Swift’s Harris endorsement. Chris Willman, Variety, 15 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for flummox 

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flummox was in 1836

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Dictionary Entries Near flummox

Cite this Entry

“Flummox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flummox. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

flummox

verb
flum·​mox
ˈfləm-əks
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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