From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbafflebaf‧fle1 /ˈbæfəl/ ●○○ verb [transitive] CONFUSEDif something baffles you, you cannot understand or explain it at all The question baffled me completely. —baffled adjective We were all utterly baffled. —baffling adjective a baffling mystery —bafflement noun [uncountable]→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
baffle• We've spent weeks investigating this case and it's got us completely baffled.• The fountain's archer is one of the city's top attractions, a status that baffles all who live here.• The fact that none of the neighbors ever reported the abuse has baffled authorities.• The disease has baffled doctors, who are unable to treat it.• The mysterious phenomenon of long marriage baffled him.• What baffles me is how anyone could escape from the jail in broad daylight.• What baffles me is how few of them can spell.• The exact nature of black holes continues to baffle scientists.bafflebaffle2 noun [countable] technical Ta board, sheet of metal etc that controls the flow of air, water, or sound into or out of somethingExamples from the Corpus
baffle• And it is important to make sure that zips have a generous baffle behind them to prevent cold spots.• The shoulder baffle is easy to adjust and comfortable.• The Osmenas had hung lengths of cloth from the ceiling in overlapping rows as sound baffles.• Cheaper bags often have small thin baffles which can flatten away from the zip or none at all.• Eberle described fish ladders as custom-built, aluminum or wood water chutes with baffles.Origin baffle1 (1500-1600) Probably from Scottish English bawchill “to criticize publicly”