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
Eric Boodman, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
Though maybe also mystifying it even more.
—Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 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
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
See All Example Sentences for mystify
Verb
Zeller’s canvases mystified him.
—Eric Boodman, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
Though maybe also mystifying it even more.
—Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 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
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
See All Example Sentences for mystify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mystify
Adjective
-
And, equally perplexing, why was the moon in America?—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The judging is vexing and perplexing.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This baffling inconsistency has challenged planetary physics and raised doubts about how scientists interpret signals from distant worlds.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
-
That Smith’s work remains little-known is all the more baffling considering the strength and depth of a retrospective now up at Keith de Lellis.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Here are seven of the most puzzling plane disappearances in history.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
While scientists have long understood the importance of this cloak, one aspect of its biology has remained deeply puzzling.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The troubled production resulted in a bizarre cyberpunk schlock-flick that felt far removed from what most fans understood Mario to be.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Since the border is not straight but snakes along old county lines, some of the journey was bizarre.—
Colm Tóibín,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Some 18 months ago, Mack said, the Royals launched a deep dive after Picollo broached the possibility of exploring strange new worlds.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
But rather than avoiding strange quantum phenomena such as superposition and entanglement, Bennett and Brassard embraced them.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That is precisely what has made the stock's underperformance all the more bewildering and its valuation all the more shocking.—
,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The platypus has long been one of nature’s most bewildering creatures.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Marin stuck to her plan of staying close until a moment that changed everything with shocking swiftness — her changing her mind and going for the green on the par-5 13th for a go-ahead birdie, and Talley adding to the sad history of collapses on the back nine at the home of the Masters.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Emma’s shocking admission rattles the entire wedding party, particularly Haim’s Rachel, whose cousin was left paralyzed by an act of gun violence.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mystify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mystify. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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