Synonyms of puzzled

puzzled 1 of 2

adjective

1

as in bewildered

Related Words

• bewildered
• bemused
• surprised
• startled
• wondering
• overwhelmed
• staggered
• stunned
• awed
• stupefied
• dumbfounded
• astounded
• amazed
• flabbergasted
• astonished
• awestruck
• marveling
• open-mouthed

Dissimilar Words

• unimpressed
• indifferent
• disinterested
• unconcerned
• uninterested
• dispassionate
• impassive
• bored
• incurious
• unemotional
• jaded
• emotionless

2

as in quizzical

Related Words

• quizzical
• wary
• cautious
• paranoid
• leery
• incredulous
• skeptical
• careful
• watchful
• critical
• questioning
• disbelieving
• guarded
• doubting
• distrustful
• experienced
• cynical
• suspicious
• unbelieving
• mistrustful
• inquisitive
• curious
• show-me
• unconvinced
• unsure
• negativistic
• gun-shy
• uncertain
• suspecting
• hesitant
• worldly
• nosy
• inquiring
• undecided
• knowing
• undetermined
• sophisticated
• worldly-wise
• unsettled
• snoopy

Dissimilar Words

• credulous
• naive
• gullible
• uncritical
• sure
• unsophisticated
• unquestioning
• certain
• trusting
• simple
• ingenuous
• trustful
• wide-eyed
• confident
• green
• innocent
• positive
• simpleminded
• unknowing
• unworldly
• inexperienced
• impractical
• childlike
• idealistic
• callow
• raw
• deceived
• careless
• unsuspecting
• unsuspicious
• heedless
• unwary
• duped
• beguiled
• tricked
• gulled

puzzled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of puzzle

as in baffled

to throw into a state of mental uncertainty

it is the cause of the disease that puzzles doctors

Synonyms & Similar Words

• baffled
• perplexed
• confused
• bewildered
• mystified
• embarrassed
• befuddled
• stunned
• flummoxed
• bemused
• vexed
• confounded
• posed
• flustered
• bothered
• disturbed
• rattled
• disoriented
• discombobulated
• upset
• bamboozled
• muddled
• fuddled
• mazed
• foxed
• addled
• muddied
• buffaloed
• got
• befogged
• graveled
• unsettled
• stumped
• beat
• nonplussed
• disconcerted
• stuck
• blew one's mind
• mortified
• dismayed
• discomfited
• agitated
• went to one's head
• distressed
• abashed
• perturbed
• disquieted
• fazed
• chagrined
• weirded out
• discomforted
• deceived
• misled
• discountenanced
• discomposed
• fooled
• unhinged
• deluded
• duped
• tricked
• misguided
• beguiled
• humbugged
• hoodwinked
• strung along
• gulled
• snowed
• hoaxed
• cozened
• took in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• satisfied
• assured
• informed
• reassured
• enlightened

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of puzzled

Adjective

Not long ago, ordering a nonalcoholic beer at Oktoberfest could draw puzzled looks. — Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Back then, the decision was met with a puzzled reaction across the industry. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026

The weather bell’s very existence might spark a puzzled glance or two from anyone unfamiliar with it. — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026

Then came the Rock Chalk chant, rolling through the heart of London and drawing another round of puzzled looks from people passing by. — Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026

Residents struggled to understand the process of receiving help from FEMA, people were beset by scams and price gouging, and tenants whose homes had been destroyed or made uninhabitable puzzled over their rights. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026

Many going to work Friday morning in the Financial District were a little puzzled by the new development. — Andrea Nakano, CBS News, 12 July 2026

The query came from a man — puzzled look on his face, riding MARTA — stopped at Five Points station. — Gavin Godfrey, AJC.com, 17 June 2026

Just how much plants can sense in the world around them has long puzzled researchers. — K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026

Verb

The existence of supermassive black holes before the universe was even 1 billion years old is something that has puzzled astronomers since the JWST started spotting them in 2022. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 3 Nov. 2026

All day on Sunday, there seemed to be a back-and-forth of praise from the right, and puzzled outrage on the left. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026

That the Houthis are able to score hits from 500 miles away, despite the Saudi military spending tens of billions of dollars on multi-layered air defense systems, has puzzled experts. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

He was puzzled when, after 2021, the number of children going into foster care dropped, but the state's costs for child welfare were rising. — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

The photo also showed two others associated with Kremlev, part of a larger group of Russians whose presence puzzled some attendees. — Alex Mierjeski, ProPublica, 19 Sep. 2026

As Friday afternoon turned to evening, some reporters at the White House were puzzled by the president’s claim, given the lack of follow-up action. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026

Many are puzzled by the reason, since enterprises have more powerful models and more capable agents than ever. — Jakob Freund, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Researchers have been puzzled by the intricacies of the genome, especially noncoding DNA—the 98 percent of DNA that doesn’t code for specific proteins but still plays a major role in the body’s function. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2026