Flummoxes

To flummox is to perplex, bewilder, or confound someone; to cause someone to be puzzled or confused. It describes a state of mental paralysis where understanding is blocked, and the individual struggles to grasp a situation or problem. The effect is usually temporary, arising from unexpected or complicated circumstances. The recipient of flummoxing finds themselves unable to react appropriately or logically due to this confusion. The word implies a degree of frustration in the subject, feeling they ought to comprehend but cannot. Its use suggests the presence of an unexpected challenge.

Flummoxes meaning with examples

• The complex tax forms completely flummoxes John. He stared at the pages, overwhelmed by the jargon and endless calculations, unable to determine where to even start. The sheer volume of information left him feeling completely lost and frustrated, unable to complete the task by the deadline. He wished he had consulted a professional to help with his taxes.
• The riddle, cleverly crafted with double meanings, flummoxes the detective. He considered every possible interpretation, retracing his steps again and again. The detective felt his mind racing, unable to isolate a solution, so he decided to take a break and return to it later, as constant mental stimulation would not benefit him.
• The unexpected power outage flummoxes the entire data center. With servers offline, all attempts to restore systems fails as engineers frantically worked to diagnose the root cause of the electrical failure. The sudden blackout left the system in chaos. They were confused because it should not have happened.
• The sudden plot twist in the movie flummoxes the audience. Viewers gasped, reevaluating previous scenes based on this new revelation and wondering what other shocks would occur during the remainder of the film. The film left many confused, but in an exciting way. They were no longer sure what the next moment would bring.