mystification

1 a state of mental uncertainty the new information did little to ease our mystification Synonyms bafflement, bamboozlement, befuddlement, bemusement, bewilderedness, bewilderment, confusedness, discombobulation, distraction, fog, head-scratching, maze [chiefly dialect], muddle, confusion, perplexity, puzzlement, tangle, whirlRelated Words abashment, discomfiture, disconcertment, embarrassment, mortification; agitation, chagrin, discomfort, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturbance, perturbation, upset; bother, commotion, dither, flurry, fluster, fuss, stew, turmoilNear Antonyms assurance, certainty, certitude, confidence, conviction, positiveness, sureness

2 something hard to understand or explain an event that is one of the great mystifications in all of maritime history Synonyms closed book, conundrum, enigma, head-scratcher, mystery, puzzle, puzzlement, riddle, secretRelated Words brainteaser, case, challenge, knot, matter, perplexity, poser, problem, stumper, trouble