mystifying 1 of 2

mystifying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of mystify

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 mystifying
Adjective
The mystifying hexagon, unlike anything else seen in the solar system, has persisted long enough for four spacecraft to observe it above the gas giant – including the iconic Hubble Space Telescope. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 If you were born with Libra rising, your second house of money is passionate and Plutonian, ruled by the sultry and mystifying sign of Scorpio. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026 Seehorn received a nomination for lead actress in a drama series for her portrayal of cynical Carol Sturka, a fantasy romance author who finds herself in a mystifying situation after a virus seems to have wiped out most of Earth’s population. Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026 The Mets’ continual snub of Hall of Famer Carter, a pivotal player in the team’s history as the first building block of the 1986 championship club, is both mystifying and downright embarrassing. Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2026 Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) January 31, 2026 Then Peterson played just three minutes in the second half before heading to the bench, limited by the return of nagging injuries that have sidelined him for a good portion of his mystifying rookie season. Brendan Marks, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026 Perimeter shooters went cold, finishing at the rim turned into a mystifying struggle, and the offense wasn’t able to capitalize after creating advantages behind the play by switch-hunting Doncic. Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
After nine games full of electric, nerve-wracking and oft-mystifying baseball, the Phillies finally lost 9-2 to the Mariners on Monday. Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 25 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 The longevity industry profits from mystifying the obvious, but Emanuel largely dispenses with pretense. Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 The film tells the story of her Hungarian family’s relocation to Vancouver Island during one summer in the 1990s, as her parents grapple with the worsening and mystifying behavior of her older half-brother Jeremy (Edik Beddoes). Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026 Franz Wagner, who missed 48 games this year with that mystifying ankle injury, finally started looking like his old self with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2026 But the mystifying circumstances of his 1973 death — involving an overdose at the Joshua Tree Inn and the subsequent theft of his body — have often overshadowed his remarkable musical legacy. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2026 And then there’s the mystifying whiff of slop. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mystifying
Adjective
  • Director Darren Aronofsky’s chilly mind-bender is mesmerizing, terrifying and perplexing in equal measure.
    David Faris, TheWeek, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The messages, which NPR has obtained and authenticated, are perplexing.
    NPR, NPR, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The sequel, on the other hand, is shaped by baffling decisions from director Susanne Bier and cinematographer Simon Duggan that render the film antiseptic.
    Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Despite some protests about a dog contributing to the game, Buddy — clad in a bright blue jersey and two pairs of basketball kicks — scores baffling basket after baffling basket, leaving the other team shocked.
    Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
Adjective
  • The details of the case were so puzzling as to be almost unbelievable, certainly unsolvable.
    Steve Belanger, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Roman’s catalog of galaxies will help scientists ascertain how quickly the universe is expanding due to these puzzling, unseen forces.
    Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The threats are constantly evolving, layering upon themselves with bewildering speed.
    Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But these casting decisions are bewildering, to say the least, and will certainly cost the film ticket sales and potential revenue.
    Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
Adjective
  • Its study of dark matter and dark energy could also give scientists new insights into two of the most confounding puzzles in astronomy.
    Denise Chow, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Grief is one of the most confounding aspects of the human experience.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The board’s real contribution is to prevent the organization from confusing speed with progress, automation with accountability or intelligence with wisdom.
    David Ribott, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Here, misfits are welcome, and bric-a-brac is part of the appeal; the wonderfully bizarre name and devil-may-care attitude have been confusing (and delighting) first-timers for more than 70 years.
    Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Appropriated from a John Cale album, the title accurately describes scenes of bloodletting committed by bizarre, scenery-chewing yakuza members, and the energy hovers somewhere around a bloodier-than-baseline Takashi Miike movie from the mid-2000s.
    Vadim Rizov, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Her family and church life remained opaque, but her bizarre comedic timing and magnetic onscreen presence turned her into everyone’s favorite reality-TV anti-hero.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • In a small town, several dead people are brought back to life through a strange ritual involving burning duck manure.
    Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Back outside, the strangest part of the scene might have been how normal everything seemed to the people wearing crimson and blue.
    Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mystifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mystifying. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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