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to flummox

to flummox

7 8.6
To confuse someone so they do not know what to do or think
  • verb
  • /ˈflʌməks/
translation icon : confundir
  • The difficult math problem completely flummoxed the students during the exam.

Examples

  • "Hey, Denise, how are you?" Denise turned her attention to him, still flummoxed.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • You are completely flummoxed.

  • And l was flummoxed by what he was saying, because he would never give anything away.

  • When the tickets arrived, I was flummoxed as to what to do with them.

    Blog text (34)
  • "Don't try to flummox us," one of them said.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Got all flummoxed and turned around somehow.

  • "Yes, absolutely, and in addition, your average gentleman would have been positively flummoxed by her offer."

    Fiction book (2001)
  • My heart ached for both women, but I was flummoxed about what to do.

    Blog text (15)
  • All this is preface to say that I was completely flummoxed by the words.

    Blog text (4)
  • " Officials at the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity say they are flummoxed by the actions."

    Blog text (34)

Synonyms

to confuse
vsto flummox
266 1.9

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

adds a stronger sense of leaving someone unsure what to do
to beat
vsto flummox
  • Informal
190 7.0

To be too difficult for someone to understand

is about actively making someone completely unsure what to do
to puzzle
vsto flummox
73 4.9

To make someone feel confused when something is hard to understand

is stronger, producing complete bafflement and unsure action
to baffle
vsto flummox
65 5.3

To make someone very confused and unable to understand

is about overwhelming confusion that stops thought or action
to boggle
vsto flummox
58 7.2

To be so surprised or confused that you hesitate and cannot think clearly

stresses confusion that stops decision rather than mere amazement
to stump
vsto flummox
39 5.3

To make someone unable to answer a question

is broader, causing full confusion about action or thought
to perplex
vsto flummox
35 6.3

To make someone confused and unable to understand

is about causing immediate total confusion in a person
to bewilder
vsto flummox
29 5.3

Make someone very confused and unable to think clearly

adds the idea of leaving someone unsure what to do
to mystify
vsto flummox
28 6.5

To make someone confused by making something seem mysterious

is more about immediate personal bewilderment than mystery
to confound
vsto flummox
22 7.0

Make someone unable to think clearly

aims more at complete bewilderment that stops action
to dumbfound
vsto flummox
17 7.0

To surprise someone so much that they cannot speak or answer

is pure bewilderment rather than shock or surprise
to befuddle
vsto flummox
11 7.8

To make someone very confused so they cannot think clearly

is stronger in making someone unsure how to act or think
to bemuse
vsto flummox
11 7.5

To make someone feel confused or unable to understand

is more intense, making someone unsure what to do next
to discombobulate
vsto flummox
  • Informal
6 9.9

To confuse someone so they cannot think clearly

is more about total bewilderment preventing decisions
to fluster
vsto flummox
3 5.5

To make someone nervous so they cannot think clearly

focuses more on baffling confusion rather than nervous upset
to vex
vsto flummox
1 7.7

To confuse someone by making something hard to understand

is more about producing full personal bafflement and unsure action
to fuddle
vsto flummox
1 9.4

To confuse someone and make them unable to think clearly

is stronger, leaving someone unsure what to do next
to nonplus
vsto flummox
9.4

Surprise and confuse a person so they do not know what to do

focuses more narrowly on causing total uncertainty about what to do
to gravel
vsto flummox
  • Archaic
9.9

To annoy or puzzle someone

is pure bewilderment without the added annoyance element
to fox
vsto flummox
8.9

To confuse someone so they cannot think clearly

is more forceful in leaving someone completely unsure how to act

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

How Confused

to bewilder
29 5.3
to flummox
7 8.6
to perplex
35 6.3
to confuse
266 1.9
to puzzle
29 3.9

Surface Forms

flummox infinitive
flummoxed past
flummoxed past participle
flummoxing present participle
flummoxes third person singular

Etymology

Flummox likely comes from an old English dialect word flummock meaning 'to confuse', with a playful link to fox, which can mean 'to trick'. So, to flummox someone is to make them completely confused and unsure what to do.