perplexes

present tense third-person singular of perplex

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perplexes But the unknown in that equation is what perplexes the Mavericks and has the team stuck for now. Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perplexes
Verb
  • By utilizing a platform that provides a One Experience for data, networking, and security, IT teams reduce the variability that traditionally complicates Day 0 and Day 2 operations.
    Sam Rastogi, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • For Tokyo, that complicates the effectiveness of any unilateral intervention.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • For three years straight, he’s kept up a pace that bewilders the industry’s leading comics.
    Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 17 June 2026
  • The narrator and his wife find that their attachment to the charismatic and cryptic Chibi grows with the cat’s increasing visits, in a way that bewilders them but somehow bonds them closer together.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
Verb
  • Graft inquiry embarrasses Zelensky Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said in a Telegram announcement that the investigation into Yermak is ongoing.
    Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
  • Now the technology embarrasses an umpire even more than a player could, and what’s the recourse?
    Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • These opportunists drown out the core mission, creating a cacophony of competing voices that confuses donors, crowd the inboxes of CEOs and members of Congress with colliding petitions, and paralyzes meaningful action by draining critical funding and attention away from the truly effective groups.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026
  • But nobody confuses Harvard Extension School classes with the real thing.
    Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Using humane methods like squirrel baffles and tree nets can effectively keep squirrels out of your fruit trees.
    Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026
  • Multiple baffles within the bladder help keep the liquid from sloshing around excessively, while a wide waterproof zipper across the top makes for easy filling, cleaning, and adding of electrolytes.
    Ben Coxworth May 11, New Atlas, 11 May 2026
Verb
  • Although many economists say the market was overvalued and a decline was inevitable, what triggered the crash is open to debate, and the sheer magnitude of the drop still puzzles economists.
    Barbara Hagenbaugh, USA Today, 22 June 2026
  • What still puzzles me, amid all these noteworthy projects, is Dudamel’s way with the standard repertory.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Perplexes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perplexes. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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