as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
we were mystified by the sudden changes in the tax code
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in perplexing
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Recent Examples of mystifying
Dan Duggan, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Clear protein—which has earned rave reviews from many TikTokers and fitness experts—might sound mystifying.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 13 Oct. 2025
Elias Pettersson, the forward Pettersson will look to bounce back from a mystifying stretch of mediocre hockey (at least when compared to his own lofty standard) that has persisted for 20 months now, dating back to the 2024 NHL All-Star break.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
The sudden explosive change of air pressure and the heating of the air itself cleared every cloud out of the sky, mystifying Baxter and everyone else who witnessed the disappearance.
—Charles Pellegrino, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
On Sunday, there was a mystifying stretch of turnovers on five straight possessions that began in the second quarter and extended into the fourth quarter.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Something stirs beneath the surface as this mystifying energy takes hold, inviting us to explore the shadows, confront the truth and rise into transformation.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Clear protein—which has earned rave reviews from many TikTokers and fitness experts—might sound mystifying.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 13 Oct. 2025
Elias Pettersson, the forward Pettersson will look to bounce back from a mystifying stretch of mediocre hockey (at least when compared to his own lofty standard) that has persisted for 20 months now, dating back to the 2024 NHL All-Star break.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
The sudden explosive change of air pressure and the heating of the air itself cleared every cloud out of the sky, mystifying Baxter and everyone else who witnessed the disappearance.
—Charles Pellegrino, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mystifying
Verb
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One morning, members of the Fort Greely missile defense base spot an ICBM of unknown origin on a suborbital trajectory heading straight for Chicago, baffling the country’s top intelligence and defense teams who only have 18 minutes to respond before impact.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
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But there were strengths here, too, none more than England’s impervious Lazarus complex, that baffling inability to know when one is in a state of emergency.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The sheriff’s office was called, and initially the deaths were deemed suspicious, though the situation seemed more perplexing than criminal.—
Joy Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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In a whirlwind year for the organization, his slump was one of the more perplexing developments.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Chemical clues from another world What makes these observations particularly intriguing and puzzling is the detection of nickel without concurrent detection of iron above our instrumental limits.—
Darryl Seligman,
Space.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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There was, however, one puzzling factor.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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What is the most confounding and terrible, however, is Gretchen’s assertion that Slade, the anti-Viagra, doesn’t get involved with the women on his own accord, but only engages because the women always talk about him.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
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The offense’s struggles are the most confounding.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And aren’t our real-life romantic complications bewildering enough?—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
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Its ginormous investments in higher-value, tech-heavy sectors from smartphones to autos to semiconductors to biotechnology are disrupting the global landscape at bewildering speed.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As travelers crave experiences over ordinary stays, hotels that have transformed grim to glam are now embracing their bizarre and sometimes haunted histories, even hosting weddings and wellness retreats.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
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But things take a bizarre turn when her son, Simón (Roger Príncep), goes missing.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Perplexity’s image features photographs of people with some truly nightmarish distortions on its wall, while the placement of its sink is confusing and distracting.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
25 Oct. 2025
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This was out of respect for me, and also to avoid confusing the children.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Also this week, celebrity chef José Andres reveals his latest cookbook, the strange case of two hyper-specific vending machines, and the neverending epic of Cracker Barrel’s redesign fiasco adds yet another chapter.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
31 Oct. 2025
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But there's a strange intimacy to Talk to Me's premise, in which teens act tough by holding a mummified hand, declaring the titular phrase, and inviting one lucky spirit from the other side to inhabit their body.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mystifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mystifying. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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