variants also dumfound

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb dumbfound differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of dumbfound are bewilder, confound, distract, nonplus, perplex, and puzzle. While all these words mean "to baffle and disturb mentally," dumbfound suggests intense but momentary confounding; often the idea of astonishment is so stressed that it becomes a near synonym of astound.

was at first too dumbfounded to reply

In what contexts can bewilder take the place of dumbfound?

In some situations, the words bewilder and dumbfound are roughly equivalent. However, bewilder stresses a confusion of mind that hampers clear and decisive thinking.

a bewildering number of possibilities

When is it sensible to use confound instead of dumbfound?

While the synonyms confound and dumbfound are close in meaning, confound implies temporary mental paralysis caused by astonishment or profound abasement.

the tragic news confounded us all

When would distract be a good substitute for dumbfound?

The meanings of distract and dumbfound largely overlap; however, distract implies agitation or uncertainty induced by conflicting preoccupations or interests.

distracted by personal problems

When could nonplus be used to replace dumbfound?

The words nonplus and dumbfound are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, nonplus implies a bafflement that makes orderly planning or deciding impossible.

the remark left us utterly nonplussed

Where would perplex be a reasonable alternative to dumbfound?

Although the words perplex and dumbfound have much in common, perplex adds a suggestion of worry and uncertainty especially about making a necessary decision.

a behavior that perplexed her friends

When might puzzle be a better fit than dumbfound?

The synonyms puzzle and dumbfound are sometimes interchangeable, but puzzle implies existence of a problem difficult to solve.

the persistent fever puzzled the doctor

Examples 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 dumbfound Photographs of Nahapetian at the film’s premiere dumbfounded a fair number of social media users, who had also mistaken the actor for a de-aged Phoenix after watching the trailer. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 26 Apr. 2023 Witnesses told The Times that spectators were dumbfounded. Rachel Uranga, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Apr. 2023 The TikTok hack that currently has people dumbfounded involves one of the most basic and useful kitchen tools—the potato peeler. Hollyanna McCollom, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2023 One Silicon Valley Bank employee, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, was dumbfounded by how Becker publicly acknowledged the extent of the bank’s financial troubles before privately lining up the necessary financial support to ride out the storm. Mark Thompson, CNN, 14 Mar. 2023 See all Example Sentences for dumbfound 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumbfound
Verb
  • But even the most devoted cat lovers might be surprised by the results of a new study.
    Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2024
  • Watch on Hulu At Witt’s End On December 1, 1994, 19-year-old Melissa Witt drove to surprise her mother at a bowling alley in Fort Smith, Arkansas, but disappeared without a trace.
    Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Upstart Indiana, who have shocked even the most seasoned college football experts this year with the Hoosiers unblemished 9-0 record, come in at No. 8.
    David Close, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Tens of thousands of people who had invested their savings in the bank lost money, shocking the communist nation and prompting rare protests from the victims.
    Jason Ma, Fortune Asia, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The two played four minutes together during one of the Lakers’ six preseason games, a moment that left LeBron James amazed.
    Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024
  • The title signals the jump scare that the image maker hoped would likewise amaze the viewer when the 3D ghost loomed before their very eyes.
    Andrea Kaston Tange, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • That meant those showing up in New Zealand were astonished to discover their task was to climb the New Zealand Fiji Mountains within 14 days.
    Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2024
  • Immediately upon being plucked from the proverbial shadows of the backroom studio, Alessandro Michele astonished with his new Gucci, a house reawakened by an intriguing gentility rich with influences from antiquity to today’s urban culture.
    Bridget Foley, WWD, 27 Sep. 2024
Verb
  • The results astounded me and raised deep questions about ethics, the authenticity of media artifacts, and the personal meaning behind handwriting itself.
    Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 12 Sep. 2024
  • The lack of cultural awareness or care here astounds for its conspicuousness.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024
Verb
  • Elton John ‘flabbergasted’ and teary after Biden surprises him with medal More anti-LGBTQ+ bills passed into state law in the first four months of this year than at any other time in U.S. history, a Post analysis earlier this year found.
    Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 20 June 2023
  • The stadium negotiator was flabbergasted that the A’s had dodged both requests.
    Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2023
Verb
  • Clutter offers an antidote to the stupefying standardisation of so much of modern life.
    Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 11 Oct. 2024
  • That would have been enough against a group of Giants hitters that was stupefied by Webb’s opponent, Dylan Cease, but Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts teamed up to tack on one more before the first was over, and the unearned run in the fourth made it 4-0.
    Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near dumbfound

Cite this Entry

“Dumbfound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumbfound. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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