1920, Mary Roberts Rinehart, The Bat, ch. 12:"Have you any theory about this occurrence to-night?" She watched him eagerly as she asked the question.He made a gesture of bafflement."None whatever—it's beyond me," he confessed.
(countable) Something that causes a state of confusion or puzzlement.
2005 Dec. 16, Josh Tyrangiel, "Best of 2005: Music," Time:The cartoon characters on the front cover, the irritatingly meaningless track names . . . make it seem like a concept album about global warming for kids. Since the lyrics remain a bafflement, it might well be.
