as in perplexing
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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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Recent Examples of mystifying
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 19 Feb. 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
Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 5 Feb. 2026
People were talking about Roman Abramovich, the oil-and-aluminum billionaire, who was running for governor of Chukotka, mystifying everybody.
—Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
But in rare cases, messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have been linked to myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle—mystifying scientists and clinicians.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 10 Dec. 2025
The 2025-26 Nuggets, even after their mystifying 131-121 loss to the Mavericks on Monday, remain narrowly on pace to break the franchise wins record of 57.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025
Neptune’s been here since 2011, softening your ambitions, mystifying your path, and teaching you to lead with intuition, not ego.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 28 Nov. 2025
This mess of a horror movie and its director’s mystifying track record in the genre is your doing, too!
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Nov. 2025
Still, under tonight’s mystifying astro-weather, chocolates and candlelight will not suffice.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Clear protein—which has earned rave reviews from many TikTokers and fitness experts—might sound mystifying.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The outlandish and mystifying story received nearly wall-to-wall coverage, but the plane was never found.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 19 Feb. 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
Exhibitions, no matter their theme, always had a way of mystifying me.
—Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 5 Feb. 2026
People were talking about Roman Abramovich, the oil-and-aluminum billionaire, who was running for governor of Chukotka, mystifying everybody.
—Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
But in rare cases, messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have been linked to myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle—mystifying scientists and clinicians.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 10 Dec. 2025
The 2025-26 Nuggets, even after their mystifying 131-121 loss to the Mavericks on Monday, remain narrowly on pace to break the franchise wins record of 57.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025
Neptune’s been here since 2011, softening your ambitions, mystifying your path, and teaching you to lead with intuition, not ego.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 28 Nov. 2025
This mess of a horror movie and its director’s mystifying track record in the genre is your doing, too!
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Nov. 2025
Still, under tonight’s mystifying astro-weather, chocolates and candlelight will not suffice.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Clear protein—which has earned rave reviews from many TikTokers and fitness experts—might sound mystifying.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mystifying
Adjective
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The craze is perplexing to parents, but Bennett said the Hornets have embraced it to bring joy to young people.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The oven was equally perplexing.—
Jason Fried,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Georgia basketball’s matchup with Tennessee ended in baffling fashion Wednesday night.—
Olivia Sayer,
AJC.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The pilot of a private jet reportedly made an eerie discovery while flying thousands of feet over Rhode Island, marking the latest in unexplained encounters baffling both experts and civilians alike.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
22 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Jokic admitted last Sunday that he was concerned by the increasingly puzzling trend.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
25 Feb. 2026
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Why Dark Matter Matters Dark matter is one of the most puzzling components of our universe.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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McNutt housed some 700 kids — about one-third of the population of French Lick — and Bird found the campus outside the dormitory walls bewildering.—
Keith O'Brien,
Rolling Stone,
22 Feb. 2026
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Even a principled, well-meaning actor like Claude could face bewildering ethical conflicts.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In 2021, one year into D’Amaro’s tenure and following COVID shutdowns, Disney did away with FastPass and introduced a confounding and very costly series of pay-to-skip passes, which require timing advanced booking of limited slots in these formerly free-to-enter shorter lines.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
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The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The reason is that missing information and others’ gaslighting are confusing your mind.—
Lisa Stardust,
Vogue,
23 Feb. 2026
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According to Sara Nibler, a recruiter at Redballoon who places candidates in roles ranging from manufacturing to media, job seekers are increasingly confusing the convenience of Zoom with an excuse to abandon basic professional etiquette.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The actor compares the image of a man blocking a tank, an impulsive move of resistance by one person, to how Berenger has to maneuver, then openly question, the increasing aggressive and bizarre actions of his fellow townsfolk.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2026
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But Saturday’s most bizarre finish unfolded at Winter Park High School, where fans of both the Wildcats and Lake Mary ran onto the court to celebrate victory after the horn sounded, ending a low-scoring game that had fans on the edge of their seats all night.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Key themes in her work include environmental catastrophe, belief, and the strange and unsettling aspects of human life.—
Joy Williams,
The Dial,
3 Mar. 2026
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Foremost among them was his strange work schedule.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mystifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mystifying. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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