Choose the most appropriate synonym of the underlined word.
The sudden fall in the water level of the old stepwell confounded even the engineers who had studied it for years.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Baffled
In the given sentence, confounded means confused someone so much that they could not understand or explain something. Its synonym is baffled. Example: The magician’s last trick confounded everyone in the school hall.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Alarmed | made someone suddenly worried or afraid (fear, not confusion) | The loud bang from the kitchen alarmed Dadi. |
| (2) Reassured | made someone feel less worried | The doctor reassured us that the cut was not deep. |
| (3) Exhausted | made someone very tired | The long trek to the hill fort exhausted the whole group. |
| (4) Baffled (answer) | puzzled someone completely (same as confounded) | The missing tiffin box baffled the whole class. |
| Synonyms of confounded: baffled, puzzled, bewildered, perplexed Antonyms of confounded: enlightened, clarified, explained |