Verbs of confusion and deceit

baffle

to confuse somebody completely; to be too difficult or strange for somebody to understand or explain

I'm b___d why she hasn't called.

Scientists are b___d as to why so many young people are affected.

His behaviour b___s me.

blackmail

to force somebody to give you money or do something for you by threatening them, for example by saying you will tell people a secret about them

She b___ed him for years by threatening to tell the newspapers about their affair.

The president said he wouldn't be b___ed into agreeing to the terrorists' demands.

Voters were effectively b___ed into voting ‘Yes’.

bluff

to try to make somebody believe that you will do something that you do not really intend to do, or that you know something that you do not really know

I don't think he'll shoot—I think he's just b___ing.

She b___ed the doorman into thinking that she was a reporter.

Is he going to jump or is he only b___ing?

con

(informal) to make someone believe something false, usually so that that person will give you their money or possessions

She felt she had been c___ed into buying the car.

Thieves c___ed him out of his life savings.

He c___ed his way into the job using false references.

He managed to c___ £20 out of them (= get that amount from them by deceiving them).

confound

1) (formal) to confuse and very much surprise someone, so that they are unable to explain or deal with a situation

A man has c___ed doctors by recovering after he was officially declared dead.

The sudden rise in share prices has c___ed economists.

2) to prove somebody/something wrong

She c___ed her critics and proved she could do the job.

The rise in share prices c___ed expectations.

delude

​to make somebody believe something that is not true

He's d___ing himself if he thinks it's going to be easy.

Don't be d___d into thinking that we are out of danger yet.

She had been d___ing herself that he loved her.

double-cross

(infrormal) to cheat or trick somebody who trusts you (usually in connection with something illegal or dishonest)

He d___-c___ed the rest of the gang and disappeared with all the money.

The diamond thief d___-c___ed his partners and gave them only worthless fake jewels.

dupe

to deceive someone, usually by making that person do something that they did not intend to do

The girls were d___ed by drug smugglers into carrying heroin for them.

He was d___ed into giving them his credit card.

hoodwink

to deceive or trick someone

He h___ed us into agreeing.

Angry customers claim they have been h___ed and are demanding refunds.

She had been h___ed into buying a worthless necklace.

hustle

(informal) to forcefully encourage someone to buy something, or to cheat someone

Don't be h___d into anything unless you really want to.

On weekends they h___ tourists on the waterfront.

perplex

to confuse and worry someone slightly by being difficult to understand or solve

The disease has continued to p___ doctors.

They were p___ed by her response.

scam

(informal) to trick someone into giving you money or giving you some advantage, in a dishonest and often illegal way

He was s___ed out of $500 in what he thought was a legitimate way to get US immigration papers.

She was s___ed by a conman who claimed that he was raising money for charity.

She s___ed him into a relationship and then ran off with his money.

stump

to confuse or cause someone to be unable to understand or explain something

He seemed s___ed by our questions.

I'm completely s___ed - how did she manage to escape?

swindle

to cheat somebody in order to get something, especially money, from them

They s___d him out of hundreds of dollars.

They s___d hundreds of dollars out of him.

The wealthy banker was ultimately convicted of ___ing investors.