as in mystery
something hard to understand or explain
the conundrum of how an ancient people were able to build such massive structures without the benefit of today's knowledge and technology
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Recent Examples of conundrum
These conundrums thread throughout an album trying to create some distance between the singer and the swashbuckling mind-set of 2023’s One Thing at a Time, where 35 of 36 songs touched on drinking.
—
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 20 May 2025
Your questions and comments as well as gardening conundrums and successes, are always welcome.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 17 May 2025
The Triple Crown conundrum That, of course, only solves one problem.
—Dana O'Neil, New York Times, 16 May 2025
This is a common conundrum for football fans in the age of fantasy sports.
—David Hill, Rolling Stone, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for conundrum
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 20 May 2025
Your questions and comments as well as gardening conundrums and successes, are always welcome.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 17 May 2025
The Triple Crown conundrum That, of course, only solves one problem.
—Dana O'Neil, New York Times, 16 May 2025
This is a common conundrum for football fans in the age of fantasy sports.
—David Hill, Rolling Stone, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for conundrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conundrum
Noun
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This was a period during which the red planet seemed to be ready to give up some of its mystery.—
Matthew Shindell,
The Conversation,
6 June 2025
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The mysteries of Césaire’s work and life have been an open question of Martiniquan, French, and wider Caribbean history.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Bacon’s Castle was originally built by Arthur Allen, who remains something of an enigma to historians, according to the National Park Service.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2025
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History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images To many observers of China, its top leader, Xi Jinping, is an enigma.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Conundrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conundrum. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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