Baffle
Tax portals, hostel sock disappearances, and paradox questions all produce the same face: the mind hitting a wall and stopping cold.
Learn This WordMeaning
To confuse completely.
Memory trick
BAFFLE sounds like a wall (baff) your thoughts bounce off.
Examples
The puzzle baffled the class.
The new tax portal baffled even the chartered accountants in the queue.
For years the missing socks baffled the hostel until someone checked the terrace lines.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
Of uncertain origin, possibly from a Scots word for disgrace or confusion. Now the sound of a mind hitting a wall and stopping.
Usage Notes
Stronger than confuse: baffled means no explanation works yet. Great for mysteries, paradoxes, and badly designed forms.
Real-life contexts
Use casually: "This crossword has me baffled."
Use in class: "The question baffled even the toppers."
Use in reviews: "The ending baffles most viewers."
Common Mistakes
Baffle takes the person as object (it baffled me), not the thing. A baffle is also a device that blocks flow, as in a sound baffle.
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Part of Speech
verb
Difficulty
intermediateMonthly Searches
~28,000
Related Words
Obfuscate
To deliberately make something unclear or difficult to understand; to obscure or confuse.
Paradox
A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated may prove to be well-founded or true.
Enigma
A person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.