as in perplexing
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as in thwarting
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in frustrating
to prevent from achieving a goal
the language barrier baffled everyone and discouraged us from attempting another teleconference
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in puzzling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
she was baffled by the wording of the clause in the insurance policy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of baffling
Garrett M. Graff, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Standing in as her party's pick to rebut the president, ahead of his reelection bid no less, is a daunting task for any up-and-coming politician, but even some Republicans described Britt's performance with words like baffling and bizarre.
—Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Feb. 2026
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 Dec. 2025
As if dark energy weren't already mysterious and baffling enough, new research suggests that this unknown force may not be driving galaxies apart at an accelerating rate anymore.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for baffling
Adjective
But each conversation that night was more baffling than the last; no one seemed to know what was happening.
—Garrett M. Graff, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Standing in as her party's pick to rebut the president, ahead of his reelection bid no less, is a daunting task for any up-and-coming politician, but even some Republicans described Britt's performance with words like baffling and bizarre.
—Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
That said, the good outweighs the baffling.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
What started in middle school with a brand-new flip phone quickly turned into 17 years of unwanted calls, mistaken identities and baffling coincidences.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 Dec. 2025
As if dark energy weren't already mysterious and baffling enough, new research suggests that this unknown force may not be driving galaxies apart at an accelerating rate anymore.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for baffling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baffling
Adjective
-
Mamdani’s revenue estimates look realistic rather than usefully bleak; notwithstanding his perplexing series of revisions, the gap appears to be real.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The craze is perplexing to parents, but Bennett said the Hornets have embraced it to bring joy to young people.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The council keeps losing court battles on issues ranging from its Voter ID law to its efforts to censor library books to its thwarting of state housing laws.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The instinct to head back to a war zone may seem puzzling, but the reality on the ground generally isn’t as dire as the headlines suggest.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
This puzzling behavior has long raised questions about how materials without a regular molecular structure can still remain mechanically stable.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Things got even more confusing when make-up artist Alexis Stone posted a picture of a prosthetic on Instagram alongside photos of Carrey at the awards show.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
5 Mar. 2026
-
For people who deal with a parent with addiction issues, that can be really confusing and painful.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There was a crisp new poster on the easel at the Werth practice facility that displayed the Big East Tournament trophy, not yet mauled in frustration and held together by tape like the regular-season version had been.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The cost of parking, and parking tickets, has long been a frustration for state workers who commute to downtown Sacramento.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But then the team lost Kevin Fiala for the rest of the season to a fractured leg in the Olympic tournament and saw winger Andrei Kuzmenko undergo surgery last week to repair torn meniscus in his right knee, hampering an offense that ranks 28th in the 32-team league in goals.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Public frustration over the district’s academic performance reached a boiling point in August 2024, when Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker spoke at a school board meeting, saying the district’s poor performance was hampering students’ opportunities after high school.—
Silas Allen,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
McNutt housed some 700 kids — about one-third of the population of French Lick — and Bird found the campus outside the dormitory walls bewildering.—
Keith O'Brien,
Rolling Stone,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Even a principled, well-meaning actor like Claude could face bewildering ethical conflicts.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Baffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baffling. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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