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bamboozle

verb

  1. to deceive or get the better of by trickery or flattery
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Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /bæmˈbuː.zl̩/ / /bæmˈbu.zl̩/

noun

Etymology: Derivative of 17th-century vernacular bam (“to trick, to con”), which is a derivative of bam in noun use (fraudster, cheat). Possibly from French embobiner.

  1. A cheat, hoax, or imposition.

verb

Etymology: Derivative of 17th-century vernacular bam (“to trick, to con”), which is a derivative of bam in noun use (fraudster, cheat). Possibly from French embobiner.

  1. To con, defraud, trick, to make a fool of, to humbug or impose on someone.

    “Look here, friend,” said I, “if you have anything important to tell us, out with it; but if you are only trying to bamboozle us, you are mistaken in your game; that’s all I have to say.”

  2. To confuse, frustrate or perplex.

    He's completely bamboozled by the changes in the computer system.

    "Although Morphy misplays the opening, it does not take him long to bamboozle his opponent."