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
The result is a bit of head-scratcher, as the song is a one to one cover with nothing changed, even Kirk Hammett’s iconic solo section, which is especially odd considering Mustaine has admittedly bashed Hammett’s playing over the years.
—
Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
DMV‘s non-renewal is more of a head-scratcher.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
That Mater Dei-Servite head-scratcher is one of a few anomalies in the rankings.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
Given not only how overmatched his roster is on paper, but the fact that Willard himself called the scheduling of this game a head-scratcher, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff Neiburg, a blowout loss by Villanova would hardly be a shocker.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head-scratcher
Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
DMV‘s non-renewal is more of a head-scratcher.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
That Mater Dei-Servite head-scratcher is one of a few anomalies in the rankings.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
Given not only how overmatched his roster is on paper, but the fact that Willard himself called the scheduling of this game a head-scratcher, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff Neiburg, a blowout loss by Villanova would hardly be a shocker.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head-scratcher
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head-scratcher
mystery
Noun
-
The small museum, which opened last year, covers the creatures, apparitions and mysteries eluding prosaic explanation.—
Adam Kuehl,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
There’s no charm, mystery, or wit to it.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Head-scratcher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head-scratcher. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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