Added 9 October 2026
bamboozle
/bæmˈbuː.zl̩/ verb
verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about bamboozle at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Conceal one's true motives from especially by elaborately feigning good intentions so as to gain an end.
He bamboozled his professors into thinking that he knew the subject well
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)