Words / B2

BAFL/ˈbæfl/

To baffle is to confuse someone completely so that they cannot understand or explain something: baffle the class; a baffling anomaly. Puzzle, bewilder, and perplex are close twins. The anomaly baffled the class; still record it. Mix-up: baffle as a physical plate in a pipe (a specialised noun); buffalo. Do not write baffle for a sum you simply have not started.

Meaning

To confuse someone completely so that they cannot understand or explain something.

Examples

• “The anomaly baffled the class; still record it, the methods brief said.”
• “A baffling clause in the statute still needs a named section, which is the adjective sense.”

Good to know

baffle + person; baffling + noun; baffled by. Close: puzzle / bewilder / perplex. Trap: giving up with no log. Methods, news, and literature. Confuse someone completely — still show what you tried.

Near in meaning

puzzle, bewilder, perplex

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