flustered; flustering
ˈflə-st(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to put into a state of agitated confusion : upset
The speaker was obviously flustered by the interruption.
"Now don't overexcite yourself, Grandpa," Mrs. Bucket said. "And don't fluster poor Charlie. We must all try to keep very calm."—
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl2
: to make tipsy
There is much that is, in truth, dishonest even in honest play. A man who can keep himself sober after dinner plays [cards] with one who flusters himself with drink.—Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope
: a state of agitated confusion
They had been talking about it for days, and when they were getting ready to go out they were all in a fluster.—Louise Fitzhugh
Louise FitzhughSynonyms
Examples of fluster in a Sentence
Verb
The interruption flustered the speaker.
Some speakers fluster more easily than others.
Noun
all the yelling on the bus put the driver in a fluster
there was a palpable fluster in the audience when I asked my awkward question
Recent Examples on the Web
Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Minnesota’s defense flustered Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs and the Packers’ typically potent offense until midway through the fourth quarter.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
David Baker, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
The 6-1, 220-pounder repeatedly flusters defenses by escaping out of would-be sacks and delivering seemingly impossible throws.
—Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for fluster 
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Verb
The veteran coach believes one of the most difficult parts of the job for a rookie is absorbing the vast menu of third-down fronts and pressure packages defenses use to fluster passers.
—Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Minnesota’s defense flustered Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs and the Packers’ typically potent offense until midway through the fourth quarter.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
Noun
Now he’s lost in a fluster of subway riders shoving up
out of the sudden portal.
—David Baker, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
The 6-1, 220-pounder repeatedly flusters defenses by escaping out of would-be sacks and delivering seemingly impossible throws.
—Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for fluster
Dictionary Entries Near fluster
Cite this Entry
“Fluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fluster. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
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