nonplussing 1 of 2

adjective

variants also nonplusing
as in perplexing

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Dissimilar Words

nonplussing

2 of 2

verb

variants also nonplusing
present participle of nonplus
as in embarrassing
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress I was nonplussed by his openly expressed admiration of me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonplussing
  1. perplexing
  2. embarrassing
  3. disconcerting
  4. confusing
  5. upsetting
  6. rattling
  7. confounding
  8. dismaying
Adjective
  • Despite a relatively long history of drive-through bans, the idea is still novel and perplexing to Californians who love their burgers and love their cars.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
  • For some, evoking death and sacrifice was perplexing and distasteful; a step too far.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 17 July 2026
Definition of perplexing
Verb
  • The operation has brought a fuel crisis that is embarrassing the Kremlin more than four years after Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • Kyiv’s forces have targeted Russian oil facilities, causing fuel shortages and embarrassing President Vladimir Putin.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Adjective
  • There was a brief, disconcerting interlude of quiet from the Argentina fans after that.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • The traditional avenue for dealing with this disconcerting situation would be to hire specialist counselors trained as therapists and psychologists and station them at the schools for ready access by students.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of disconcerting
Verb
  • Physicians are alarmed, stressing that FDA licensing is crucial for guiding patients, as this decision risks confusing consumers about regulated versus unregulated treatments.
    — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The Seahawks and Eagles won Super Bowls by confusing teams from multiple alignments.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusing
Adjective
  • There are some sad ironies stitched into the plot, and an upsetting late twist, though the show doesn’t wallow in it.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2026
  • This took an upsetting story about Trump trying to get paid to tweak the stock market with Truth Social and turned it into a chance to go boi-oi-oing.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 July 2026
Definition of upsetting
Verb
  • With the inflation genie rattling the bottle, bonds sold off.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 24 July 2026
  • Adjacent to the team’s locker room, the sounds of drills digging and screws rattling were constants.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of rattling
Adjective
  • Grief is one of the most confounding aspects of the human experience.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
  • 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
Definition of confounding
Adjective
  • Most dismaying to me was the group’s seemingly endless tinkering with the menu at Rowdy Rooster, its fast-casual fried-chicken spot, including a downgrade in the chicken’s range of heat.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
  • Some recent comments from longtime Voicers have been especially dismaying.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 4 June 2026
Definition of dismaying
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.

Browse Nearby Words

nonplussed
nonplussing
nonpoisonous
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Cite this Entry

“Nonplussing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonplussing. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nonplussing

Nglish: Translation of nonplussing for Spanish Speakers

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