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Definition of baffle verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

baffle

verb
 
/ˈbæfl/
 
/ˈbæfl/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they baffle
 
/ˈbæfl/
 
/ˈbæfl/
he / she / it baffles
 
/ˈbæflz/
 
/ˈbæflz/
past simple baffled
 
/ˈbæfld/
 
/ˈbæfld/
past participle baffled
 
/ˈbæfld/
 
/ˈbæfld/
-ing form baffling
 
/ˈbæflɪŋ/
 
/ˈbæflɪŋ/
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  1. to confuse somebody completely; to be too difficult or strange for somebody to understand or explain
    • baffle somebody His behaviour baffles me.
    • be baffled (as to) why, how, where, etc… I'm baffled as to why she hasn't called.
    • I'm baffled why she hasn't called.
    Extra Examples
    • I'm baffled by her decision.
    • It baffles me why the show is so popular.
    • Scientists are baffled as to why so many young people are affected.
    Oxford Collocations DictionaryBaffle is used with these nouns as the object:
    • scientist
    See full entry
    Word Originlate 16th cent. (in the sense ‘cheat, deceive’): perhaps related to French bafouer ‘ridicule’ or obsolete French beffer ‘mock, deceive’.
See baffle in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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