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
as in perplexing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
we were mystified by the sudden changes in the tax code
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mystify
Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Quote of the week Labour seem to be mystified and terrified of the bond market in equal proportions.
—Ian King, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2026
The outlandish and mystifying story received nearly wall-to-wall coverage, but the plane was never found.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for mystify
Verb
And, in the same way, generations before us were mystified by how sounds (radio) and pictures (television) could travel through the airwaves.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Quote of the week Labour seem to be mystified and terrified of the bond market in equal proportions.
—Ian King, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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
The outlandish and mystifying story received nearly wall-to-wall coverage, but the plane was never found.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
See All Example Sentences for mystify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mystify
Adjective
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These images are perplexing, thrilling—visual nuts to crack.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
So while Schenn looks like a fit for now on the ice, and this deal helped the Isles move out Jonathan Drouin’s contract, the overall direction was somewhat perplexing in the big picture.—
The Athletic NHL Staff,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For virtually any other nominee this year, the choice would seem out of character, inevitably distracting, ultimately baffling.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Mar. 2026
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To Gilbert Arenas, the former NBA star and podcast host whose son Alijah is a freshman guard with the Trojans, the move was particularly baffling.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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So when the aircraft suddenly stopped coming for nearly two weeks, the silence was both striking and deeply puzzling.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
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With a bit of creativity and intention, even the most puzzling spots can become purposeful design moments.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 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
Adjective
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In that sense, the content lives to its title as a collection of larger-than-life bizarre elements.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
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Minutes before his interview started, Cutler, alone in the interview room, had done something completely bizarre.—
Marcelena Spencer,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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It’s been a strange season in City Section soccer, with six schools removed from the playoffs for using ineligible players, most of whom played for club teams while also playing tor their high school team, in violation of CIF bylaw 600.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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For now, Moltbook remains a strange but revealing glimpse into how AI agents might interact in the future.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The bewildering and unexplained switch over Halligan began when the Bar replied to a complaint against her filed by the nonprofit organization Campaign for Accountability.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
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But even amidst so much bewildering bleakness, there are moments of beauty to be found in a new season, in a new revolution of the wheel of the year.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Given how well Queta has played this season, that at-the-rim scoring binge was impressive, but not shocking.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
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Pasquantino piloted his team to the biggest win in Italian baseball history inside the same ballpark with their shocking 8-6 victory over Team USA on Tuesday.—
Maria Torres,
New York Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mystify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mystify. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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