as in baffling
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1
as in complicating
to make complex or difficult
let's not perplex the issue further with irrelevant concerns
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2
as in puzzling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the question perplexed me
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Recent Examples of perplexing
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Our universe is full of mysteries, but few are as perplexing as the dark, tiny galaxies that hover around larger ones like the Milky Way.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025
But as the fearsome storm unfolded, perplexing science questions emerged, said Joshua Wadler, an associate scientist at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach who was aboard the flights on Kermit with Hazelton.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perplexing
Adjective
The right-hander has struggled to maintain his velocity this season, a perplexing trend largely stemming from an inconsistency in his mechanics.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Our universe is full of mysteries, but few are as perplexing as the dark, tiny galaxies that hover around larger ones like the Milky Way.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
Even more than the finished show, this eerie, perplexing multi-Gaga spectacle feels like a glimpse into her subconscious.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025
But as the fearsome storm unfolded, perplexing science questions emerged, said Joshua Wadler, an associate scientist at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach who was aboard the flights on Kermit with Hazelton.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perplexing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perplexing
Adjective
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And then getting to support Taylor was just baffling and wild, and just so cool and so affirming.—
Jack Irvin,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
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Gritty Nobody ever said Pennsylvania was short on personality—and hometown pride takes a baffling but beloved form in Gritty, the Philly Flyers mascot.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Wind and warm weather were complicating firefighting efforts.—
Cecilio Padilla,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
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However, the complicating factor is transportation within the country, as classic Bolivia itineraries often involve long travel days between destinations, many of them by road.—
Bailey Berg,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Police are investigating after puzzling footage posted online shows a group of men emerging from a manhole in Brooklyn early Friday morning.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
29 May 2026
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Johnson insists that feels fine, so the loss of velocity is puzzling to the Angels.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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The lack of clarity makes choosing a company potentially confusing for patients, and the medical profession is partly to blame, said Jamy Ard, an obesity doctor and researcher at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
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Swimsuits for women my size are typically cumbersome, made with a confusing excess of fabric, and frumpy.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Then to Sydney Harbour, the very scene of that embarrassing capsize exactly a year earlier, and the Americans won the event outright for a first win since October 2023.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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Lutnick's voluntary closed-door interview comes amid a monthslong procession of powerful people summoned before the committee, many of whom have been subjected to embarrassing revelations in the more than 3 million pages of records known as the Epstein files.—
Graham Kates,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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But even more than engaging the big ideas that Emma’s revelation triggers — pun somewhat intended — Lee and Borli wanted to craft an experience that would mimic its main characters’ bewildering interiority.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
6 Apr. 2026
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There aren’t many ways to earn a club’s first win better than bewildering the league’s defending champions at their place.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Grief is one of the most confounding aspects of the human experience.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
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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
Adjective
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Guests still arrive early, order a brandy Old Fashioned—made the local way, without muddled fruit—and settle in for the experience.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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To wit, Tuesday’s primary—particularly the free-for-all campaign for governor to succeed Gavin Newsom—remains too muddled to call, with millions of outstanding ballots likely yet to be counted.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perplexing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perplexing. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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