verb
baffle
BAF-uhl/ˈbæfl/
Make someone unable to understand or explain something.
The interlocking wooden puzzle baffles the woman studying its trapped central piece.
Etymology
Its ancestry is uncertain. The verb developed a sense of frustrating someone's efforts by putting difficulties in the way; its confusing sense applies that obstacle-like effect to an attempt to understand.
In context
draw three gigatons of CO2 out of the atmosphere every year. Those numbers are so large that they baffle us.
More examples
- The cause of the noise still baffles the mechanic.
- Her sudden change of mind baffled her friends.
- The problem is baffling even the most experienced researchers.
Forms
baffle · baffles · baffled · baffling
bafflement noun — A state of being unable to understand.
Similar words
- puzzle
- Can suggest a milder challenge that invites thought.
- bewilder
- Emphasizes confusion or disorientation rather than inability to explain.