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
-
Outside, the street was now clogged with driverless cars, their high beams on, in confusion, in paralysis, lacking any traffic lights to tell them what to do.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The confusion allowed the CIA to uncover the location of the service member, who was hiding in a mountain crevice, the official said.—
Seung Min Kim,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Larger, even more capable actors, particularly Russia and China, may also take advantage of the fog of war to launch strikes themselves.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Glimmers of light broke the fog.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perplexity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perplexity. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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