mystify

verb

ˈmi-stə-ˌfī How to pronounce mystify (audio)
Definition of mystifynext
as in to perplex
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty we were mystified by the sudden changes in the tax code

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mystify Fears of serial killer The unsolved murders at the time mystified Kansas City residents and fueled fears of a serial killer targeting people who used the area’s trail system. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 For years, Cole was mystified by a small, beanlike object with stripes which lurked in the background of certain drawings. — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 The first feature-length Oz adaptation is a mystifying silent epic starring Dorothy Dwan as Dorothy and Oliver Hardy (later of Laurel and Hardy fame) as the Tin Woodsman. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026 Most mystifying - at least to Washington - is the constant unravelling of Iran-US deals. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mystify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mystify
  1. perplex
  2. confuse
  3. bewilder
  4. baffle
  5. puzzle
  6. befuddle
Verb
  • California‘s seven Supreme Court justices appeared by turns perplexed by and incredulous of those theories during oral arguments last month.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • They were perplexed at first, flummoxed, but pleasant, and unfortunately for them, already long gone from the airport.
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of perplex
Verb
  • At last week's race in Azerbaijan, Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas crashed on the last lap and reportedly blamed it on the software becoming confused and affecting his braking.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Immigrant parents there wanted help writing to their kids’ teachers and making sense of confusing forms.
    — Steven Choi, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • Latif is conflicted by his double life, bewildered by his doubling of parental responsibilities, constantly trying to think two moves ahead yet always ending up three steps behind.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Dan emerges as Primetime’s unlikely heart, bewildered by the dark world he’s wandered into and left to negotiate his ambitions with the high stakes of the job.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of bewilder
Verb
  • Her home isn’t in the highway’s path, but she was still baffled by council’s decision.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Their admirable determination makes Diamantis’ flight from the United States baffling for us and humiliating for them.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of baffle
Verb
  • Overrun with puzzling plot points, several cameos and a bloated supporting cast, the series fails to stick the landing.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
  • He was puzzled when, after 2021, the number of children going into foster care dropped, but the state's costs for child welfare were rising.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of puzzle
Verb
  • Byrd and DeSantis each noted the many election law changes Florida has instituted since the infamous 2000 presidential election recount — where Palm Beach County’s butterfly ballots befuddled many voters in a razor-thin race.
    — Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Those are decreasing in frequency, and the situation has befuddled the USTA.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of befuddle

Browse Nearby Words

mystifies
mystify
mystifying
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Cite this Entry

“Mystify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mystify. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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