as in baffling
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1
as in complicating
to make complex or difficult
let's not perplex the issue further with irrelevant concerns
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in puzzling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the question perplexed me
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of perplexing
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
In their last two losses, the Valkyries have struggled against athletic players like Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson and Minnesota’s Natasha Howard, which makes Amihere’s lack of playing time perplexing.
—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
Ara H. Merjian,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
Even more than the finished show, this eerie, perplexing multi-Gaga spectacle feels like a glimpse into her subconscious.
—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perplexing
Adjective
The shape of his struggles is at least a little perplexing.
—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
In their last two losses, the Valkyries have struggled against athletic players like Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson and Minnesota’s Natasha Howard, which makes Amihere’s lack of playing time perplexing.
—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
Verb
The disjunction between the abstract composition and the notion of self-portraiture appeared perplexing in its own right; its inoperability only exacerbated the viewer’s frustration and redoubled the artist’s impish provocation.
—
Ara H. Merjian,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
Even more than the finished show, this eerie, perplexing multi-Gaga spectacle feels like a glimpse into her subconscious.
—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perplexing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perplexing
Adjective
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Vic makes some baffling choices here, buzzing in twice on the first word in the series without hearing the rest, and getting eliminated from multiple rounds five seconds in.
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And that’s not the only answer to lingering questions authorities are waiting on in the baffling search for Oscar Sanchez-Munoz.
Verb
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Scientists have not even fully determined which pollutants pose the greatest risks to firefighters, further complicating a choice.
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Opponents, however, see the measure as overly reliant on standardized testing that doesn’t account for complicating factors like poverty, class size and access to resources.
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.
Verb
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The moms aren’t embarrassing their kids.
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Several other policy changes led to blowback from the public and Starmer was forced to make a series of embarrassing U-turns that provided political capital for opponents and fed beliefs that the prime minister didn’t stand for much.
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.
Adjective
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Grief is one of the most confounding aspects of the human experience.
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In 2021, one year into D’Amaro’s tenure and following COVID shutdowns, Disney did away with FastPass and introduced a confounding and very costly series of pay-to-skip passes, which require timing advanced booking of limited slots in these formerly free-to-enter shorter lines.
Adjective
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Slayton agrees, noting that muddled mint or basil make particularly refreshing additions.
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The Red Wings' muddled path forward was evident Wednesday with the signing of Viktor Arvidsson and trade pickup of Keegan Kolesar representing their most notable additions.
Cite this Entry
“Perplexing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perplexing. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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