NONPLUSING Synonyms: 118 Similar and Opposite Words

nonplussing 1 of 2

adjective

variants also nonplusing

as in perplexing

Related Words

Relevance

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

Adjective

More perplexing is the industry’s retreat despite evidence that diversity is in its economic interest.

— Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
Not Kendall, nor Candle, but a third, even more perplexing name for a dog.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of perplexing

Verb

My New York neighbors barely said hello; in Singapore, a stranger would probably politely look away rather than risk embarrassing you.

— Amanda Lee Koe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
After those results went public, embarrassing Muñiz and a few other judges, the Florida Bar stopped conducting surveys and publishing the results … leaving Florida voters with even fewer resources.

— Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of embarrassing

Adjective

The effect is especially disconcerting as this father and daughter navigate glad-handers and former Nazi collaborators in West Germany who are anxious to bury the past.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Like Biden, in this cycle Lula found that a disconcerting number of his compatriots were unmoved by his calls to save democracy from those who would seek to undermine it—or didn’t buy into his rhetoric in the first place.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of disconcerting

Verb

Sound quality is also good, with ultra-deep bass rattling your brain on songs that feature it.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026
The production is a rattling junk drawer of circuit-bent thrift-store keyboards, dusty drum machines, and unintuitive loops, and KTO combines them into head-scratching, shouldn’t-work grooves.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of rattling

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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Nonplussing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonplussing. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of nonplussing

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes