variants also nonplused
Definition of nonplussednext
as in perplexed
faced with difficulty or uncertainty about what to say, think, or do the self-possessed actress seemed uncharacteristically nonplussed after the director's harsh appraisal of her performance

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nonplussed

2 of 2

verb

variants also nonplused
past tense of nonplus

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of nonplussed
Adjective
Not that everyone seems nonplussed. John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 4 May 2026 As the girls leave, Romans turns his attention to his favorite visitor, grandson Henry, who is clearly accustomed to and entirely nonplussed by the animals surrounding him. Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Verb
Some analysts were nonplussed at the double-digit share price drop. Tobias Burns, CNBC, 4 June 2026 Nick Lapis, director of advocacy for Californians Against Waste, a nonprofit that helped push for the law, is nonplussed by industry protests. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for nonplussed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonplussed
Adjective
  • University leaders and state lawmakers from these rural Oklahoma are perplexed to find themselves in the crosshairs of this culture war issue.
    Andrea Eger, Oklahoma Watch, 6 Sep. 2026
  • View this post on Instagram Many commenters were perplexed to see new content from Hilton’s account pop up.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Yeah, the Cardinals — led by rookie head coach Mike LaFleur, the Rams’ former offensive coordinator — embarrassed the Bolts at home.
    Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The disclosure embarrassed senior officials, led to White House aide Scooter Libby’s conviction for perjury, later commuted, and drew intense political scrutiny.
    Brian O'Neill, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The idea of there being two movies about concrete in the first place is baffling to me; Wilson, on the other hand, seems baffled that such a situation would stop a studio from greenlighting a project.
    Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The sleek, gold-colored coupé impressed with a futuristic design, but baffled onlookers with its cramped two-seat interior, lack of a charging port, and a dubious, far-too-good-to-be-true $30,000 price tag.
    Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • After she was placed under arrest, Boucher appeared confused by the slow-moving process.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Not to be confused with inverted full backs, an inverted winger is a wide player who is used on the opposite side of the pitch to their strong foot — so a left-footer on the right or a right-footer on the left.
    Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Five o’clock Saturday, the Riverside Stadium and Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg is fist-pumping a half-bewildered but fully enthused home crowd.
    Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • When kids first got online, parents were bewildered and alarmed, but kids, who tend to gravitate to new technology, found freedom in a space that was basically ungoverned.
    Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Rebecca is worked up because Matthjis is seemingly ghosting her, and Keeley becomes instantly flustered by the unexpected arrival of (an unexpectedly unaccompanied) Roy.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
  • If this were still the primary, Raman would have flustered her way to a non-answer.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Nonplussed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonplussed. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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