as in mysteries
something hard to understand or explain
how Thomas Jefferson could be both a slaveholder and a champion of liberty remains an enigma
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Recent Examples of enigmas
Toss in plenty of brutal murders, bizarre prophecies, time-bending enigmas, and haunting hallucinations — all seemingly tied to Lucy’s mysterious meetings with the Hannibal Lecter-like Gideon Shepherd (Peter Capaldi) — and this one's well worth losing six hours of sleep over.
—
Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
Simpson has been one of the biggest enigmas in this year’s draft.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
Speaking of enigmas, Katie Zelem plays for West Ham now on loan after less than five months with London City.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Yet despite their impressive size, encounters with these enigmas remain exceedingly rare due to the myriad of challenges of studying deep-sea sharks.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Their sudden exit from the fossil record has remained one of anthropology’s most enduring enigmas, until now.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Dec. 2025
Further enigmas can be found elsewhere on public lands, including within state parks, recreational areas, and more.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025
Over time, the fate of the footage has become one of the biggest enigmas in Hollywood history.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
These cosmic enigmas defy our everyday understanding of space and time, swallowing light and matter and pushing the laws of physics to the extreme.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
Simpson has been one of the biggest enigmas in this year’s draft.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
Speaking of enigmas, Katie Zelem plays for West Ham now on loan after less than five months with London City.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Yet despite their impressive size, encounters with these enigmas remain exceedingly rare due to the myriad of challenges of studying deep-sea sharks.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Their sudden exit from the fossil record has remained one of anthropology’s most enduring enigmas, until now.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Dec. 2025
Further enigmas can be found elsewhere on public lands, including within state parks, recreational areas, and more.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025
Over time, the fate of the footage has become one of the biggest enigmas in Hollywood history.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
These cosmic enigmas defy our everyday understanding of space and time, swallowing light and matter and pushing the laws of physics to the extreme.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enigmas
mysteries
Noun
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The research also shows how quantum technologies are providing new tools to study the fundamental mysteries of physics.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
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Our universe is full of mysteries, but few are as perplexing as the dark, tiny galaxies that hover around larger ones like the Milky Way.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Enigmas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enigmas. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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