perplexes

verb

present tense third-person singular of perplex
1
as in complicates
to make complex or difficult let's not perplex the issue further with irrelevant concerns

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bewilders
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the question perplexed me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 perplexes But the unknown in that equation is what perplexes the Mavericks and has the team stuck for now. — Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perplexes
  1. complicates
  2. bewilders
  3. embarrasses
  4. confuses
  5. baffles
  6. puzzles
Verb
  • Rutschman’s eligibility for free agency after next season further complicates the matter.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • The flare-up complicates a week Manila had hoped would showcase its ASEAN chairmanship.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 21 July 2026
Definition of complicates
Verb
  • As fans of the comedian know, Ali G is a streetwise interviewer whose hip hop slang often bewilders guests such as Noam Chomsky, Andy Rooney and Newt Gingrich.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 7 July 2026
  • The narrator and his wife find that their attachment to the charismatic and cryptic Chibi grows with the cat’s increasing visits, in a way that bewilders them but somehow bonds them closer together.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
Definition of bewilders
Verb
  • Graft inquiry embarrasses Zelensky Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said in a Telegram announcement that the investigation into Yermak is ongoing.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
  • Now the technology embarrasses an umpire even more than a player could, and what’s the recourse?
    — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
Definition of embarrasses
Verb
  • These opportunists drown out the core mission, creating a cacophony of competing voices that confuses donors, crowd the inboxes of CEOs and members of Congress with colliding petitions, and paralyzes meaningful action by draining critical funding and attention away from the truly effective groups.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026
  • But nobody confuses Harvard Extension School classes with the real thing.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of confuses
Verb
  • Meanwhile, McGrew agreed to adjustments, including adding baffles to reduce sound from a attached generator for the tower and replacing tower fencing that incorporated barbed wire with taller, more natural looking fencing.
    — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • Using humane methods like squirrel baffles and tree nets can effectively keep squirrels out of your fruit trees.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026
Definition of baffles
Verb
  • These Companies Are Ready To Cash In Sixsmith argues his firm is unusual in pushing more traders through to genuine live accounts, which is why the reluctance to go there puzzles him.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • The pitch can move to either direction of the plate — a profile that still puzzles his teammates and pitch recognition tools.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of puzzles

Browse Nearby Words

perplexed
perplexes
perplexing
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Cite this Entry

“Perplexes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perplexes. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on perplexes

Nglish: Translation of perplexes for Spanish Speakers

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