1
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
her explanation did little to relieve his puzzlement
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mystery
something hard to understand or explain
the whole situation remains a puzzlement to everyone who was there
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puzzlement
Even though Davis was six years older than Dončic at the time of the trade and had a more extensive injury history, Harrison defended his decision amid overwhelming backlash and puzzlement from Mavs fans as the deal rippled throughout the sport.
—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
Trump’s fondness for Putin has long been clear, and also a subject of much puzzlement.
—
Kim Lane Scheppele,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
His efforts are met with puzzlement by everyone but the children.
—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
19 Sep. 2025
As such, anyone who took this type of interim role is going to be out of a job and possibly have something on their resume that will be a puzzlement.
—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puzzlement
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
Trump’s fondness for Putin has long been clear, and also a subject of much puzzlement.
—
Kim Lane Scheppele,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
His efforts are met with puzzlement by everyone but the children.
—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
19 Sep. 2025
As such, anyone who took this type of interim role is going to be out of a job and possibly have something on their resume that will be a puzzlement.
—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puzzlement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puzzlement
Noun
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Mercury stations retrograde in Cancer in your 11th House of Friends and Community, bringing old invitations, group-chat confusion, or unclear expectations back into focus.
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In it, the author described a culture of confusion, stress, and incompetence, as contractors competed for work to be completed under near-impossible deadlines.
Noun
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The aesthetic details of what will happen beyond the loading docks have been shrouded in mystery.
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Now, the historical society hopes community members hold the final missing pieces to the mystery.
Noun
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When Ian Happ made the final out of the frame, the umpires convened and called a delay, a rare stoppage because of the fog-shrouded Wrigley Field.
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Dense fog shrouded the Golden Gate Bridge and masked the city's fireworks display.
Noun
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There is, however, a sense of bewilderment in Britain as to how things went wrong so quickly.
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His castmate Geena Davis expressed her own bewilderment at the cancellation to Deadline’s sister publication, The Hollywood Reporter, earlier this week.
Cite this Entry
“Puzzlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzlement. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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