variants
also nonplusing
as in perplexing
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Dissimilar Words
variants
also nonplusing
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
-
Hippocrates bases his explanation of epilepsy, that most perplexing of illnesses, on observation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026 -
That makes the decision to pull back on that ice time in the second period and again in overtime all the more perplexing.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
An unwritten rule of the NBA, it is generally viewed as a sign of respect to run out the clock rather than risk embarrassing an opponent.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Recently, Ryan spoke about the Beckham situation, the process of writing material as a mother without embarrassing her kids and her new goal of returning to the career trajectory of her pre-pregnant self in the near future.—
Deputy Entertainment,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
None of the emails unearthed so far appear to indicate criminal activity, but are—like the photos—disconcerting.—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Here, the opening sentence is disconcerting because the speaker is coming back to a physical space, but is returning from an absence, which is not a physical space.—
Akhil Sharma,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Germany's exact medal count is a point of contention because Germany has not always competed in each Olympics as a unified country, which can lead to confusing medal counts.—
Aliza Chasan,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
For many, tax season can be a confusing and stressful time with lingering deadlines and confusing tax forms.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Similarly, to see Savannah Guthrie, 54, normally a joyful and smiling companion who narrates the major events of our day-to-day lives, in such a vulnerable and upsetting position is jarring.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The upsetting video reportedly led Twitch to suspend Kartier from the platform until at least mid-March.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the latest violence rattling the fragile ceasefire, medics said two men were killed by Israeli forces in eastern Khan Younis, in an area adjacent to where the army operates.—
Nidal al-Mughrabi,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Archival footage illustrates, in pulse-pounding and nerve-rattling fashion, just how widespread calls for Rushdie’s murder were.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
What is the most confounding and terrible, however, is Gretchen’s assertion that Slade, the anti-Viagra, doesn’t get involved with the women on his own accord, but only engages because the women always talk about him.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
With little to no foil for this dismaying existence, however, Half His Age often succumbs to shock value in lieu of pushing beyond that which offends.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Democratic leaders actually were troubled by Mamdani’s rise (although their preference for a disgraced former governor was equally dismaying), but Democratic voters handed Mamdani a solid victory despite his radical positions.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
28 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Nonplussing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonplussing. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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