as in mystery
something hard to understand or explain
why he chose to sink all of his money into a failing business is a real head-scratcher
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Recent Examples of head-scratcher
Why the pair chose to visit the Magic City isn’t too much of a head-scratcher.
—
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026
But that’s not really such a head-scratcher in itself.
—Quanta Magazine, 13 Feb. 2026
This one’s a head-scratcher all the same.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
But nothing from Kansas or K-State, and that’s been a head-scratcher for fans of those teams.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for head-scratcher
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026
But that’s not really such a head-scratcher in itself.
—Quanta Magazine, 13 Feb. 2026
This one’s a head-scratcher all the same.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
But nothing from Kansas or K-State, and that’s been a head-scratcher for fans of those teams.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for head-scratcher
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head-scratcher
mystery
Noun
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Borenstein notes that this was true before the mystery surcharge appeared in 2015.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Readers who approach this dense but astonishing book will laugh at how superficial that query seems in contrast to the mysteries of the universe.—
Bethanne Patrick,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Head-scratcher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head-scratcher. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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