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
Some lineup decisions were head-scratchers, but there was a mandate to try to develop the young guys as much as possible, and Warsofsky gave them a longer leash.
—
Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
The Nuggets jumped out to a 44-25 lead early in the second quarter only to see a potential laugher quickly turn into a head-scratcher.
—CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
The two big investments in their front seven — particularly Phillips’ whopping four-year, $120 million deal — also meant the Panthers would have to exercise financial prudence with their other additions, at least one of which was a head-scratcher.
—Joseph Person, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
One head-scratcher in the poll was the voters’ denial about their political polarization.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for head-scratcher
Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
The Nuggets jumped out to a 44-25 lead early in the second quarter only to see a potential laugher quickly turn into a head-scratcher.
—CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
The two big investments in their front seven — particularly Phillips’ whopping four-year, $120 million deal — also meant the Panthers would have to exercise financial prudence with their other additions, at least one of which was a head-scratcher.
—Joseph Person, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
One head-scratcher in the poll was the voters’ denial about their political polarization.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for head-scratcher
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head-scratcher
mystery
Noun
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While the exact methods remain a mystery, Clarke and colleagues believe the Altar Stone was almost certainly moved in stages, possibly through a combination of overland and river travel routes.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 June 2026
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But the possibility of an epochal discovery that radically changes our understanding of the universe’s history and solves one of the greatest mysteries in modern astrophysics is too alluring to ignore.—
Jonathan O'Callaghan,
Scientific American,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Head-scratcher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head-scratcher. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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