as in mystery
something hard to understand or explain
the conundrum of how an ancient people were able to build such massive structures without the benefit of today's knowledge and technology
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Recent Examples of conundrum
Mark a Specific Territory Trying to decide where your screen divider should go can be a conundrum.
—
Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 26 Feb. 2026
More recently, other options have come forth to solve the sell-buy conundrum.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
That’s indeed the conundrum for a team that clearly needs better personnel in the backfield.
—Sam McDowell February 25, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
The football solution to this conundrum is as obvious as a false start.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conundrum
Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 26 Feb. 2026
More recently, other options have come forth to solve the sell-buy conundrum.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
That’s indeed the conundrum for a team that clearly needs better personnel in the backfield.
—Sam McDowell February 25, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
The football solution to this conundrum is as obvious as a false start.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conundrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conundrum
Noun
-
Mamdani emerged from this shroud of mystery triumphant, posting a photograph on X of himself, firmly straight-faced, standing alongside the grinning President.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The internet is undoubtedly already running through every possible male celebrity candidate, but for now, this one remains a mystery.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The labor market has been its own enigma.—
Brian Cheung,
NBC news,
5 Mar. 2026
-
In the 1990s and early ’00s, Bill Callahan was an enigma.—
Mark Richardson,
Pitchfork,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conundrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conundrum. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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