as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
seeing her perplexity, the teacher stepped in with a helpful hint
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Recent Examples of perplexity
This story is one of many that showcase the perplexities that encompass being a mother and a human raising other humans, which is not a small task.
—
Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 10 Apr. 2025
Doing so nine days since the transfer portal opened on March 24 only adds to the perplexity.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2025
Sleep—which, when things go well, consumes a third of our lives—poses two opposed existential perplexities.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
The performances, too, are more likenesses than full characterizations, which, admittedly, is wholly in keeping with the perplexities being dramatized.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for perplexity
Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 10 Apr. 2025
Doing so nine days since the transfer portal opened on March 24 only adds to the perplexity.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2025
Sleep—which, when things go well, consumes a third of our lives—poses two opposed existential perplexities.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
The performances, too, are more likenesses than full characterizations, which, admittedly, is wholly in keeping with the perplexities being dramatized.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for perplexity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perplexity
Noun
-
Adding to the sense of confusion, police said that the twins frequently share clothes and use the same phone numbers and ID documents.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
22 Feb. 2026
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Pausing PreCheck risked significant delays and frustration at airports like LAX, where passengers encountered closed lanes, long lines and confusion on Sunday morning.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Others have sought to use cloud seeding to disperse fog at airports, tackle air pollution, reduce hail damage or even to manipulate the weather for major events, such as the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
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If, in the following days, increasing moisture and a sticky feel to the atmosphere are accompanied by fog or overcast skies, this can signal the approach of a cold front with a cooler air mass behind it.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perplexity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perplexity. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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