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

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 umpires conferred and spoke with Venable, who seemed puzzled by the inquisition. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 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

Clean energy companies are even more puzzled. — Justin Worland, Time, 26 Mar. 2026

High above the forests of the Sauerland, though a popular hiking spot today, individuals from the Iron Age decided to fortify this location with rocks, but why these Iron Age men would secure the mountain puzzled archaeologists. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 7 Mar. 2026

Two of them seemed puzzled by the phrase, struggling to parse out its meaning, while the third instinctively got it. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026

Verb

Just ask Australian break dancer Rachael Gunn, whose performance at the 2024 Olympics puzzled viewers the world over. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026

Three bears were taken, and, in keeping with the southern tradition of bear hunting, Roosevelt’s hosts were a bit puzzled by the president’s disappointment. — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026

The discovery is the latest example of DNA offering new clues about diseases and deaths that have puzzled researchers for centuries. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Some economists were puzzled by the results but said higher minimum wage and the healthcare industry probably helped. — Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026

The fire chief, Gene Perreault, who was there during the walk-through, tells me the piles puzzled investigators. — Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026

Tempo coach Sandy Brondello seemed puzzled by the absence of violet. — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026

Analysts were puzzled by both the news itself, as well as the timing of it. — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026

Like many oil market observers, I have been puzzled by the relatively low level of oil prices given what has been one of the largest supply disruptions in history. — Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026