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
Bill Fischer, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Even among Fraser’s die-hard fans, his portrayal of Eisenhower seems likely to prove a baffling liability.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 May 2026
ArsTechnica, 25 May 2026
That said, the good outweighs the baffling.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
The steel pipe's unexpected growth spurt was reported to police early Wednesday by a pedestrian who saw broken pieces of asphalt falling from the cylinder, baffling people passing by and causing traffic congestion.
—CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for baffling
Adjective
Frame the Challenge — Then Step Aside New musicians in Davis’s bands often complained that his instructions were cryptic, incomplete, or baffling.
—Bill Fischer, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Even among Fraser’s die-hard fans, his portrayal of Eisenhower seems likely to prove a baffling liability.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 May 2026
Noun
Those who knew me found this baffling.
—ArsTechnica, 25 May 2026
That said, the good outweighs the baffling.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
This inversion explains a host of baffling political and cultural phenomena of late.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
The steel pipe's unexpected growth spurt was reported to police early Wednesday by a pedestrian who saw broken pieces of asphalt falling from the cylinder, baffling people passing by and causing traffic congestion.
—CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for baffling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baffling
Adjective
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The famed Altar Stone is far more perplexing, however.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 June 2026
-
On June 3, Mercury in Cancer will square off with Neptune in Aries, creating a perplexing atmosphere where emotions, assumptions and mixed signals can easily distort the truth.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Noun
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The attack’s thwarting was an undeniable success.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
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The thwarting of the Charlotte Hornets, one of the NBA’s fastest squads, is the quintessential White play.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
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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
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Police are investigating after puzzling footage posted online shows a group of men emerging from a manhole in Brooklyn early Friday morning.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
29 May 2026
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Johnson insists that feels fine, so the loss of velocity is puzzling to the Angels.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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The lack of clarity makes choosing a company potentially confusing for patients, and the medical profession is partly to blame, said Jamy Ard, an obesity doctor and researcher at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
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Swimsuits for women my size are typically cumbersome, made with a confusing excess of fabric, and frumpy.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Those frustrations turned to elation last summer when not only did Uzbekistan finally qualify, but did so with a game to spare when edging out the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in their group.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Rajoub refused the entreaty, much to the frustration and embarrassment of Infantino.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Last year, Alexander Isak’s eventual defection following a summer-long saga proved disastrous, hampering Newcastle’s own business, which had already been affected by Paul Mitchell’s departure as sporting director in May and by being pipped to their top targets.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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Deep mistrust among some people in the town is hampering response efforts to the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus — for which there is no vaccine.—
Emmet Livingstone,
NPR,
28 May 2026
Verb
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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.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
6 Apr. 2026
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There aren’t many ways to earn a club’s first win better than bewildering the league’s defending champions at their place.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Baffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baffling. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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