Confuzzle

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /kənˈfʌz.əl/

Definitions

1. To perplex or confuse someone in a bewildering or amusing way
2. To cause someone to become confused in a state that is both puzzling and somewhat entertaining
3. To make a person uncertain or unclear about something in a way that is amusing or baffling

Etymology: "Confuzzle" is a blend of "confuse" and "puzzle," two words that already overlapped in sense: both describe leaving someone unsure what to think. Blending them squeezes two familiar verbs into one playful coinage, with the "-zzle" of "puzzle" supplying the bewildered, tangled tone. The same process produced "befuzzle," a close relative that has the same sense and was built the same way, which suggests the "-fuzzle" element was felt as a lively way to say "muddle someone." Because the word is a deliberate blend rather than a traditional derivation, its meaning rests on the comic sound of the two parent words rather than on any older root.

Synonyms: confuse, perplex, bewilder

Antonyms: clarify, explain