Bamboozle (bam-ˈbü-zəl) According to Merriam-Webster, this word was first used around 300 years ago. That’s really old! Any idea what it means? Hint: It has nothing to do with bamboo. To bamboozle (verb) someone means to trick or confuse them. I went to buy a TV that was on sale but ended up being bamboozled into buying a more expensive unit