perplexing 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of perplexingnext
as in baffling

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perplexing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of perplex
1
as in complicating
to make complex or difficult let's not perplex the issue further with irrelevant concerns

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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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 perplexing
Adjective
Homicide detective Sofia Karppi returns to work after the death of her husband and is immediately thrown into the middle of a perplexing murder case that implicates a massive clean energy company. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026 Director Darren Aronofsky’s chilly mind-bender is mesmerizing, terrifying and perplexing in equal measure. — David Faris, TheWeek, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
That’s perplexing to Alvarez and Oakley, given that Cal State tuition is still relatively low, despite recent annual tuition hikes. — Cal Matters, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026 The disjunction between the abstract composition and the notion of self-portraiture appeared perplexing in its own right; its inoperability only exacerbated the viewer’s frustration and redoubled the artist’s impish provocation. — Ara H. Merjian, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for perplexing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perplexing
  1. baffling
  2. complicating
  3. puzzling
  4. confusing
  5. embarrassing
  6. bewildering
  7. confounding
  8. muddled
Adjective
  • My daughter, Sophie Rottenberg, had a short and baffling health crisis that might have been a mental illness borne of hormonal dysregulation, or the inverse.
    — Laura Reiley, Vanity Fair, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The stock market is back at all-time highs, a baffling ascent to many given just how much macroeconomic conditions have deteriorated lately — namely, in the rising price of oil and climbing Treasury yields.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of baffling
Verb
  • Further complicating the government's efforts to bring the French deficit under control are nationwide student protests, which have rippled outward from Paris since late September.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Unlike a conventional ballistic missile’s warhead, a hypersonic glide vehicle is built to maneuver during flight, potentially complicating an opponent’s efforts to track and intercept it.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of complicating
Verb
  • To read her book is to be reminded that childhood can be a puzzling passage for anyone, even in an ostensibly simpler time and place.
    — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2026
  • This sort of puzzling connection between text and image is repeated throughout the exhibition.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of puzzling
Adjective
  • Colette, our winsome young narrator played by Sophia Anne Caruso, will soon go on to provide a bit of explanation that only makes things more confusing.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Here are the top 6 confusing things about El Niño, as relayed to CNN via meteorologists and climate scientists.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • Reese said the exercise left her upset with Smesko and worried about embarrassing herself in front of the team.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • But the Yanks are hot after embarrassing Boston with 9-0 and 9-2 victories in the Wild Card round.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Verb
  • The threats are constantly evolving, layering upon themselves with bewildering speed.
    — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But these casting decisions are bewildering, to say the least, and will certainly cost the film ticket sales and potential revenue.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of bewildering
Adjective
  • Its study of dark matter and dark energy could also give scientists new insights into two of the most confounding puzzles in astronomy.
    — Denise Chow, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Grief is one of the most confounding aspects of the human experience.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of confounding
Adjective
  • Made with gin, Campari, lemon, simple syrup, and muddled white grapes, it was created in 2001 by Vincenzo Errico in London.
    — Amy Cavanaugh, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Garfield, sensitive and earthy, is our bellwether as the events descend into bloody carnage dictated by muddled agendas.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of muddled

Browse Nearby Words

perplexes
perplexing
perplexities
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Cite this Entry

“Perplexing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perplexing. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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