NYT Dictionary
BEFUDDLE
/bɪˈfʌdl/Verbbe-FUD-dlebe-fud-dle · 3 syllablesAdvanced/Professional
Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2026
Meaning
To perplex, confuse (someone).
Etymology
Origin: Old English
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épider. Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi Proto-Germanic *bider. Proto-Germanic *bi- Proto-West Germanic *bi- Old English be- Middle English bi- English be- English fuddle English befuddle From be- + fuddle.
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 1 recorded puzzle: