1
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
her explanation did little to relieve his puzzlement
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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
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
Closeups of her face in various states of puzzlement, affection, or frustration dazzle, and remove any doubt: Liu is a star.
—Caleb Hammond, IndieWire, 1 Sep. 2025
His quotes circulated widely, shared by bloggers and fans on social media with a bit of puzzlement and delight but with little follow-up or explanation.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puzzlement
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
Closeups of her face in various states of puzzlement, affection, or frustration dazzle, and remove any doubt: Liu is a star.
—Caleb Hammond, IndieWire, 1 Sep. 2025
His quotes circulated widely, shared by bloggers and fans on social media with a bit of puzzlement and delight but with little follow-up or explanation.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puzzlement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puzzlement
Noun
-
The crossing was closed Friday and Saturday because of confusion around operations.—
SAMY MAGDY,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Former Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt felt that there would be confusion over the fact that the Super Bowl itself took place the year after the NFL’s regular-season games.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While scientists have long observed this liquid-to-solid transformation, the exact molecular link that converts these fluid droplets into a high-performance final structure has remained a mystery until now.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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Ward said her mother was fascinated with the mystery of Amelia Earhart, and that fascination turned into countless trips to air shows and museums.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Some locally dense fog remains possible Tuesday as dew point temperatures and air temperatures reach the low 60s.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Patchy dense fog will be possible for the inland areas.—
Lissette Gonzalez,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In Caracas, moods fluctuate between skepticism, optimism and bewilderment.—
CNN 9 hr ago,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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And choice cuts from the game’s phenomenal soundtrack wound up in later installments as well, so newcomers could experience the sheer bewilderment upon hearing it for the first time.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puzzlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzlement. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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