verb
bamboozle
bam-BOO-zul/bæmˈbuːzl/
To fool someone through trickery or confusion.
The cheat bamboozles the shell-game player by secretly hiding the ball.
Etymology
Bamboozle began as slang or cant for cheating, tricking, or swindling. Its origin is unknown, so no secure root image explains the element of confusion in this sense.
In context
They pretend to be me, and they’re able to bamboozle the bank into opening the vault and letting them take my gold out.
More examples
- We were bamboozled into paying for repairs we did not need.
- Do not let the complicated wording bamboozle you.
- The trickster is bamboozling another unsuspecting visitor.
Forms
bamboozle · bamboozles · bamboozled · bamboozling
Similar words
- deceive
- Is the general term for making someone believe something false.
- hoodwink
- Emphasizes tricking someone into accepting a false impression.