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
Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 May 2026
Then, on May 24, Hitler issued one of the most baffling commands of the entire war.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 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
Ticket prices are running from a modest $49 to a rather baffling $329.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 May 2026
Then, on May 24, Hitler issued one of the most baffling commands of the entire war.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 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
-
What might motivate Rozier to take part in such as scheme is perplexing.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
The right-hander has struggled to maintain his velocity this season, a perplexing trend largely stemming from an inconsistency in his mechanics.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The attack’s thwarting was an undeniable success.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Johnson insists that feels fine, so the loss of velocity is puzzling to the Angels.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Swimsuits for women my size are typically cumbersome, made with a confusing excess of fabric, and frumpy.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Teachers, nurses and doctors across the country regularly sound alarms about being overworked and underfunded, and many end up leaving their public jobs in frustration at impossible conditions.—
Ola Morris Innset,
The Dial,
2 June 2026
-
Big Pharma is betting that its messaging machine can outlast public frustration — lawmakers should call their bluff.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Kojan, who has been involved in fighting previous Ebola outbreaks in central and western Africa and is president of the Alliance for International Medical Action, said deep mistrust within some local communities is hampering efforts to contain the virus.—
Tom Soufi Burridge,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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 5 Jun. 2026.
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