as in baffling
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of perplexing
Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
His insight and unconventional approach to understanding human behavior lead him and the team on a series of intense, unexpected journeys to solve illogical puzzles and perplexing mysteries.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 May 2025
For economists, America’s organ shortage is a perplexing public health problem.
—Steven Levitt, Boston Herald, 6 May 2025
Photo: Alfama Films No one writes dialogue like Cronenberg — perplexing alien dialogue, a sci-fi tongue of oddball terminology and metaphysical shop talk.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perplexing
Adjective
Perhaps most perplexing about Smash, though, is its weirdly cynical, ungenerous take on the Bombshell herself.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
His insight and unconventional approach to understanding human behavior lead him and the team on a series of intense, unexpected journeys to solve illogical puzzles and perplexing mysteries.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 May 2025
For economists, America’s organ shortage is a perplexing public health problem.
—Steven Levitt, Boston Herald, 6 May 2025
Photo: Alfama Films No one writes dialogue like Cronenberg — perplexing alien dialogue, a sci-fi tongue of oddball terminology and metaphysical shop talk.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perplexing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perplexing
Adjective
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Some baffling decisions were made that fundamentally alter not only her characterization and arc, but the very nature of the story itself.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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These new elements are neither remarkable nor unwelcome, but devoting time to them at the expense of Stitch is an utterly baffling decision.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
21 May 2025
Verb
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Researchers are particularly focused on unraveling the puzzling interplay between gas content, magma pressure and lava flow dynamics.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
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Almost two years into his ordeal, Gould learned of an initiative at the National Institutes of Health that focuses on solving the country’s most puzzling medical cases.—
Jason Liebowitz,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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All of which is just my way of explaining why fans, who love these stories, might be distraught and might see all the success Martin has had thanks to his unfinished work and the support of his fans, as frustrating.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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To help avoid these frustrating and disappointing situations, travelers should plan to bring along a healthy dose of skepticism on their next trip—and think twice before paying for any offer that sounds too good to be true.—
Jessica Puckett,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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In many ways, the deepfake issue appears increasingly Kafkaesque: a bewildering maze of shifting identities, elusive culprits, a tech bureaucracy sprawling beyond regulatory reach — and laws that are always lagging at least a few steps behind.—
Anisha Sircar,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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And maybe David Bednar recaptures his old form and the Pittsburgh ‘pen proves as bewildering to opponents as the Tigers’ did down the stretch.—
Tim Britton,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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As each attendee enters and takes off their shoes and adds them to the disorganized pile near the front of the door, a host asks them their intention for the evening.—
Lina Abascal,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2025
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Gilroy’s dark wit has been used sparingly in Andor, but the sniping in between the disorganized sorta-rebels is a comic highlight.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Justice Department similarly told the Supreme Court that some lower courts are confused about how to evaluate multiple IQ tests under Supreme Court rules for what counts as cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
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It’s become the subject of much conversation at Variety, and Erickson is similarly confused.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Digital clutter— unread emails, countless open tabs, and thousands of unorganized photos—can feel like a burden and actually hinder your productivity and focus.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 June 2025
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But all that information exists in random, unorganized disorder.—
Jerry Weissman,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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The cells have an ugly, disordered appearance under a microscope.—
Adam B. Kushner,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
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In more severe cases, this ongoing pattern may erode a parent’s relationship with food, leading to emotional or disordered eating that feels increasingly difficult to name, let alone break.—
Christine Michel Carter,
Parents,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perplexing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perplexing. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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