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
The Eagles’ 21-17 Sunday loss to the Denver Broncos contained the perplexity that has in the past provoked fans to picket outside the NovaCare Complex’s gates.
—
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Watch with any attention, and one begins to see his tricks: the squinty perplexity, the restless hands, the worry lines deepened in concentration, then suddenly relaxed.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for perplexity
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Watch with any attention, and one begins to see his tricks: the squinty perplexity, the restless hands, the worry lines deepened in concentration, then suddenly relaxed.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for perplexity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perplexity
Noun
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Constant changes and slow IRS guidance led to widespread confusion and, eventually, abuse that forced the IRS to put a moratorium on claims on September 14, 2023 until August 8, 2024.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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So there’s little doubt that the emergence of jumbo-size Messi’s across America’s lawns create more intrigue than confusion, even in a nation where soccer as a whole remains a second-tier sport.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
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Every leaf, branch, and gust of wind bounces sound waves back to the hunter, creating a deafening acoustic fog.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
19 May 2026
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When an agent triggers a bad action, ownership often dissolves into a fog of prompts, product decisions and access policies.—
Oleg Malii,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perplexity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perplexity. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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