To confuse or bewilder someone completely.
From 'be-' plus 'muddle' (origin uncertain, possibly from Dutch 'moddelen' or Middle Dutch 'modden'). The prefix intensifies the action of creating confusion, as if muddying the mind.
While 'bemuddle' is archaic, 'muddle' itself is still common—but we've lost the 'be-' version, probably because we developed other words like 'confuse' and 'bewilder' that seemed clearer and more standardized.
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