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

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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
Why the Braves wouldn’t commit to Holmes starting a do-or-die matchup with a division rival is perplexing, considering the team doesn’t really have any other starting pitchers on the postseason roster. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 30 Sep. 2026 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
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
  • Their baffling nature has prompted a range of potential explanations, most of which focus on a variety of unexplained natural phenomena occurring in Earth's atmosphere.
    — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The Carolina Panthers endured a baffling, frustrating, never-truly-in-it four quarters of football against the Tamp Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Bank of America Stadium.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of baffling
Verb
  • Liquid fuels can slosh around tanks, complicating spacecraft control.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The annual New York City Marathon — which attracts tourists and runners from all over the world while complicating surface transportation across all five boroughs — is typically a high-water mark for subway ridership.
    — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of complicating
Verb
  • But what is puzzling is that the country’s leaders are not acting.
    — Oliver Melton, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2026
  • But doing so means obstructing the inner part of the corona, which harbors the most important processes that underpin the puzzling phenomena of the sun’s upper atmosphere.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of puzzling
Adjective
  • The story here is about the strange relationships that form in the wake of devastating loss, and an examination of the unpredictable, messy and confusing connections often found between people experiencing grief.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Most of the controls are fairly intuitive, though finding certain features and settings can occasionally be confusing.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • My New York neighbors barely said hello; in Singapore, a stranger would probably politely look away rather than risk embarrassing you.
    — Amanda Lee Koe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • After those results went public, embarrassing Muñiz and a few other judges, the Florida Bar stopped conducting surveys and publishing the results … leaving Florida voters with even fewer resources.
    — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 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
  • And as formidable as Seydoux can be, the character isn’t so much heartbreakingly conflicted as she is oddly muddled and underdeveloped.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • What was expected to have been achieved during offseason team bonding and then three weeks of preseason instead has left a muddled mess for coach Erik Spoelstra.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 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 8 Nov. 2026.

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