as in perplexing
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as in thwarting
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in frustrating
to prevent from achieving a goal
the language barrier baffled everyone and discouraged us from attempting another teleconference
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in puzzling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
she was baffled by the wording of the clause in the insurance policy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of baffling
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
12 June 2026
And then getting to support Taylor was just baffling and wild, and just so cool and so affirming.
—
Jack Irvin,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
ArsTechnica,
25 May 2026
That said, the good outweighs the baffling.
—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
This inversion explains a host of baffling political and cultural phenomena of late.
—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for baffling
Adjective
At best, this total DJI ban is a baffling oversight.
—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
12 June 2026
And then getting to support Taylor was just baffling and wild, and just so cool and so affirming.
—
Jack Irvin,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
Noun
Those who knew me found this baffling.
—
ArsTechnica,
25 May 2026
That said, the good outweighs the baffling.
—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
This inversion explains a host of baffling political and cultural phenomena of late.
—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for baffling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baffling
Adjective
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For some perplexing reason, Gia has decided to die on the hill that Ava is lying, despite having no way to prove that and despite the fact that Ava has no reason to lie.
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Some viewers at home, however, found the clue perplexing, noting that the clue could also be read as referring to the two most recent Best Song winners.
Noun
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The attack’s thwarting was an undeniable success.
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The thwarting of the Charlotte Hornets, one of the NBA’s fastest squads, is the quintessential White play.
Verb
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But Algo’s hyper-logical, computerised process of consistently picking the favourites to win was undone in the second match of the day, with Ghana frustrating England in a 0-0 draw.
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The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.
Verb
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Just after send time yesterday morning, the Timberwolves made a puzzling splash by trading for Hornets star LaMelo Ball.
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And the performances from South Korea at the World Cup so far have been puzzling, given the talent at manager Hong Myung-bo’s disposal.
Adjective
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Devine told me that e-bike and moped marketing is confusing and regulations keeping e-bikes safely classified are cloudy.
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That could be confusing to general audiences, especially those accustomed to seeing the heat index instead.
Noun
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This would let traffic flow, which is so necessary for the vitality and economy of Chicago; provide a safer route for bikers; and ease the frustration of all of those on the streets of Chicago.
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Spence also appears to be absorbing the blame for broader failures, with Thomas Tuchel’s touchline frustrations obvious and — for a player still establishing himself at this level — that scrutiny is unlikely to help.
Verb
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Critics argue that the approach risks hampering Europe’s competitiveness.
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The sanctions are hampering work on a broad array of investigations at the court.
Verb
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Similarly, the defensively bewildering 9-6 loss the Wild suffered to start Round 2 in Colorado set the tone for five games that would ultimately be their undoing.
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But even more than engaging the big ideas that Emma’s revelation triggers — pun somewhat intended — Lee and Borli wanted to craft an experience that would mimic its main characters’ bewildering interiority.
Cite this Entry
“Baffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baffling. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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