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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of conundrum But finding a replacement for Vardy remains the impossible conundrum. Rob Tanner, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 Tune in for short episodes every Wednesday and Saturday as Grumpy answers reader questions, solves seasonal conundrums, and provides need-to-know advice for gardeners with his very Grumpy sense of humor. Steve Bender, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025 The sweeping changes have caught private individuals and veteran exporters alike in a customs conundrum. Kayla Steinberg, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025 For a player who had an up and down camp and presented coach Marco Sturm with a bit of a conundrum about where to play him – and still does, apparently – getting off the schneid early was a relief, especially after the team needed its first line to carry the team offensively in Washington. Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for conundrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conundrum
Noun
  • In the forties, exactly how the body dealt with starvation remained a mystery.
    Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
  • At this time, Mone's mystery opponent has not been listed internally.
    Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Gorman reunites with Okuno after playing a memorable enigma of a movie monster in her debut feature, Watcher.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
  • If anything, the ongoing questions around the strange journey of the Lizard King’s bust only add to the enigma.
    David Kushner, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Conundrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conundrum. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

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