as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
poorly worded instructions that must have resulted in a lot of head-scratching
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Recent Examples of head-scratching
Draymond Green then committed a head-scratching foul on Jalen Smith while up by two with 1.4 seconds remaining.
—
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
The mediocre Queen biopic remains one of the most head-scratching best picture nominees in recent memory.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
The infielder was mocked on social media after a head-scratching baserunning blunder against his former team, the Miami Marlins, in August.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Mar. 2026
In one of several head-scratching market developments of the week, ServiceNow’s stock was hammered even though the company reported strong results in just about every relevant metric.
—Melody Brue, Forbes.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for head-scratching
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
The mediocre Queen biopic remains one of the most head-scratching best picture nominees in recent memory.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
The infielder was mocked on social media after a head-scratching baserunning blunder against his former team, the Miami Marlins, in August.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Mar. 2026
In one of several head-scratching market developments of the week, ServiceNow’s stock was hammered even though the company reported strong results in just about every relevant metric.
—Melody Brue, Forbes.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for head-scratching
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head-scratching
Noun
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The vast range of difficulty and rigor in academic assessment adds confusion for both learners and employers.—
Bryan Penprase,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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The Holii Travel Pill Organizer is compact enough to fit in a car compartment or backpack, and securely separates daily doses of medications in order to avoid any confusion on busy travel days.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2026
Noun
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The splashing water captured by the camera is abstracted into a nebulous fog that dissolves the profile of a Parisian bridge in the background.—
Erika Landström,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026
Noun
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Before 2014, bull kelp—a whip-like kelp with bulbous air bladders and trailing blades —stretched across Northern California’s coastline in dense tangles.—
Tatjana Baleta,
Time,
28 May 2026
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Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen rounded out the podium after a tangle of their own, marking the Briton’s highest finish for Ferrari and the Dutchman’s first podium of the season.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Head-scratching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head-scratching. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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