1
as in complicating
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 puzzling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the question perplexed me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in baffling
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perplexing
Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 11 June 2025
Discovering a galaxy without dark matter is indeed perplexing, like finding a shadow without a source.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 18 Apr. 2025
What’s even more perplexing is that the brothers booked plane tickets to Boston for March 7, the day before they were found dead.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 28 May 2025
Even more perplexing: If shutting off service to new customers without an account is their strict policy, why wait until Friday to execute it?
—Ryan Minton, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for perplexing
Verb
To Boltzmann’s contemporaries, this was perplexing.
—Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 11 June 2025
Discovering a galaxy without dark matter is indeed perplexing, like finding a shadow without a source.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 18 Apr. 2025
What’s even more perplexing is that the brothers booked plane tickets to Boston for March 7, the day before they were found dead.
—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 28 May 2025
Even more perplexing: If shutting off service to new customers without an account is their strict policy, why wait until Friday to execute it?
—Ryan Minton, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for perplexing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perplexing
Adjective
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Still, for many of the players who were dominant during tennis’ defining era, today’s shrunken audiences are somewhat baffling, given the athleticism on display and the dizzying velocity of the aggro-baseliner game.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
27 June 2025
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Rejecting 2010’s Inception when Nolan was coming off his blockbuster masterpiece The Dark Knight, however, seems like a more baffling move.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Researchers are particularly focused on unraveling the puzzling interplay between gas content, magma pressure and lava flow dynamics.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
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Almost two years into his ordeal, Gould learned of an initiative at the National Institutes of Health that focuses on solving the country’s most puzzling medical cases.—
Jason Liebowitz,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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What’s more frustrating is that neither of the bracket’s two best overall performers will be proceeding on to the semifinals, and in hindsight, one of them — Acid Betty — really wasn’t given a chance.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
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The most frustrating character on The Bear continues to be Claire (Molly Gordon), whose on-screen role in Season 3 was limited, but whose importance even as an unseen force has grown and grown.—
Linda Holmes,
NPR,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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This book is his opus, one bewildering, confusing, meandering, and disorienting episodic tale after another involving reporters, runways, and casinos, back when Vegas was gloriously trashy.—
Brian Boone,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
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The judge’s tone is one of bewilderment because these circumstances are indeed bewildering, and no doubt would be to the Founding Fathers who expressly rejected monarchy and established a system of government where the citizenry would be free to express its discontent at government policies.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2025
Adjective
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What To Know The NWS National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Monday morning that satellite imagery showed disorganized showers and thunderstorms positioned east of an area of low pressure, roughly 600 miles east of Bermuda.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
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Among these, schizophrenia, a complex mental health condition marked by hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking, stands out.—
William A. Haseltine,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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College admission often feels like a similar face-off between families, leaving them confused, concerned, and conjecturing.—
Brennan Barnard,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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The text, translated from French, is presented partly in comics-style word bubbles, and the illustrations of confused, anxious, and increasingly exasperated animals tell a great story in any language.—
Caroline Carlson
June 30,
Literary Hub,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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Bathrooms that appear messy or unorganized often have products in them that don't belong in a bathroom.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
20 June 2025
-
Chaos Gardens Can Attract Pests and Diseases A dense, unorganized garden can restrict airflow and trap humidity, creating perfect conditions for fungal diseases.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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The cells have an ugly, disordered appearance under a microscope.—
Adam B. Kushner,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
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In more severe cases, this ongoing pattern may erode a parent’s relationship with food, leading to emotional or disordered eating that feels increasingly difficult to name, let alone break.—
Christine Michel Carter,
Parents,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perplexing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perplexing. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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