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to fox

to fox

8.9
To confuse someone so they cannot think clearly
  • verb
  • /fɑks/
translation icon : desconcertar
  • These math puzzles can easily fox even the brightest students.

Examples

  • The complicated instructions really foxed me.

  • Don't fox me with your stories!

  • She was completely foxed by the strange behavior of the machine.

  • She foxed everyone with her complicated explanations.

  • The unexpected change in the plan completely foxed her, leaving her speechless.

  • The complicated puzzle foxed everyone trying to solve it.

  • His contradictory statements foxed the jury, making it hard for them to reach a verdict.

Synonyms

to throw
vsto fox
321 7.8

To make someone feel confused or unsure

describes cognitive bewilderment without the emotional unsettling aspect
to confuse
vsto fox
266 1.9

Make someone unable to think clearly or make something hard to understand

focuses on bewildering someone rather than general difficulty
to puzzle
vsto fox
73 4.9

To make someone feel confused when something is hard to understand

focuses on confusing a person mentally rather than hard explanations
to baffle
vsto fox
65 5.3

To make someone very confused and unable to understand

is about making someone unable to think clearly rather than mystery
to perplex
vsto fox
35 6.3

To make someone confused and unable to understand

is about causing inability to think clearly, not only difficulty
to bewilder
vsto fox
29 5.3

Make someone very confused and unable to think clearly

is similar but emphasises being lost rather than puzzled strongly
to mystify
vsto fox
28 6.5

To make someone confused by making something seem mysterious

causes confusion more directly without adding mystery or secrecy
to confound
vsto fox
22 7.0

Make someone unable to think clearly

covers the same blockage but in broader situations
to dumbfound
vsto fox
17 7.0

To surprise someone so much that they cannot speak or answer

means confusing someone without necessarily adding surprise or shock
to befuddle
vsto fox
11 7.8

To make someone very confused so they cannot think clearly

describes the same severe confusion in more neutral terms
to bemuse
vsto fox
11 7.5

To make someone feel confused or unable to understand

is similar but can imply a stronger or clearer bewildering effect
to flummox
vsto fox
7 8.6

To confuse someone so they do not know what to do or think

matches confusion but is milder about total incapacitation
to discombobulate
vsto fox
  • Informal
6 9.9

To confuse someone so they cannot think clearly

is the same idea but in simpler everyday wording
to fluster
vsto fox
3 5.5

To make someone nervous so they cannot think clearly

focuses on mental bewilderment without adding nervous agitation
to bedevil
vsto fox
2 8.2

Cause ongoing trouble and confusion for people or things

is more about a momentary state of not being able to think clearly
to vex
vsto fox
1 7.7

To confuse someone by making something hard to understand

is about actively causing inability to think clearly rather than puzzlement
to fuddle
vsto fox
1 9.4

To confuse someone and make them unable to think clearly

expresses the same result but as a common simple action

Antonyms

248 3.3

To make something clear so others can understand it

55 4.8

To give someone clear information to help them understand something

Idioms

1 8.4

A person who can harm or steal when trusted to look after others

Act in a clever, tricky way to fool others

Compounds

3 7.3

A chase of a fox by riders and dogs

3 7.7

A ballroom dance for couples with slow and quick steps to lively music

1 6.2

A person who rides a horse and follows dogs to catch foxes

1 3.5

A small fox that lives in the Arctic with thick fur that turns white in winter

fox squirrel
  • Specialized
1 5.7

A large tree squirrel with a bushy tail and reddish fur

1 5.7

A medium-sized wild animal with gray fur that lives in North and Central America and can climb trees

1 3.2

A wild animal like a small dog with red-brown fur that lives in fields and towns

flying fox
  • Australian
1 8.2

A large bat that eats fruit and has a face like a fox and long wings

1 3.4

A small energetic white-and-black dog first bred to dig out foxes during hunts

kit fox
  • US
1 7.2

A small gray fox with large ears that lives in western North American deserts and is active at night

1 6.1

A person who is clever and uses tricks to get what they want

7.4

A northern fox with pale grey or blue-grey winter fur that lives near coasts

6.0

A fox with mostly black fur

A wild animal like a small dog from northern South America that eats crabs and small animals

A nickname for the German general Erwin Rommel who led forces in North Africa during World War II

A large tree squirrel with a bushy tail and reddish gray fur that lives in the eastern United States

fox grape
  • Specialized
8.2

A wild grape native to eastern North America with dark purple fruit used for jams and juices

An Algonquian language spoken by the Meskwaki people in the US Midwest

fox shark
  • Specialized
8.7

A large shark in warm seas with a long whiplike tail used to herd and stun small fish

9.9

A small wild fox from Mexico and the US with a long bushy tail with black and white rings

8.3

A small grey fox that lives in the open grasslands of western North America

silver fox
  • Informal
7.5

An attractive, stylish older man with grey hair

A red fox with dark fur and white tips kept for its fur

A small lively dog with a short smooth coat

4.4

A small Arctic fox with brown summer fur and white winter fur

A small energetic dog with rough, wiry fur and a bushy face

How Confused

to flummox
7 8.6
to baffle
65 5.3
to fox
8.9
to perplex
35 6.3
to confuse
266 1.9
to bemuse
11 7.5

Surface Forms

fox infinitive
foxed past
foxed past participle
foxing present participle
foxes third person singular

Etymology

To fox someone in the sense of confusing or baffling them is a close idea to the verb meaning 'to trick': the fox is so tricky that it can leave you unsure what to do. So if something foxes you, it makes you confused or unable to think clearly.