1
as in bewildered
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2
as in quizzical
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Dissimilar Words
as in baffled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
it is the cause of the disease that puzzles doctors
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of puzzled
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
Autoimmune diseases—a broad and complex category of ailments including rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes—have long puzzled researchers.
—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
9 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
The looks grew even more puzzled when Weir, known as the most boyishly handsome member of the Dead, grew facial hair, prompting comparisons to a Civil War reenactor or the cartoon character Yosemite Sam.
—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2026
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 June 2026
But after feeding the information into a computer model, the team was puzzled.
—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
18 June 2026
At first, Gulati was puzzled by the idea.
—
Neha Bhatt,
NPR,
13 June 2026
The Braves swapped out catchers Thursday, a move that puzzled some fans because there wasn’t a clear explanation.
—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
5 June 2026
Although new pieces of evidence continue to surface daily, none have provided any credible leads, leaving investigators and the public puzzled.
—
Allison Degrushe,
StyleCaster,
4 June 2026
The unconventional performance left the judges puzzled.
—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
At least one employee was puzzled, and another was furious.
—
Jackson Thompson Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Two experts said they were puzzled by the release records.
—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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
Autoimmune diseases—a broad and complex category of ailments including rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes—have long puzzled researchers.
—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
9 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
The looks grew even more puzzled when Weir, known as the most boyishly handsome member of the Dead, grew facial hair, prompting comparisons to a Civil War reenactor or the cartoon character Yosemite Sam.
—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
County officials said they are puzzled by the cost increase in the face of falling ridership for Access Lynx, which provides door-to-door transportation for disabled and low-income riders countywide.
—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 June 2026
But after feeding the information into a computer model, the team was puzzled.
—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
18 June 2026
At first, Gulati was puzzled by the idea.
—
Neha Bhatt,
NPR,
13 June 2026
The Braves swapped out catchers Thursday, a move that puzzled some fans because there wasn’t a clear explanation.
—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
5 June 2026
Although new pieces of evidence continue to surface daily, none have provided any credible leads, leaving investigators and the public puzzled.
—
Allison Degrushe,
StyleCaster,
4 June 2026
The unconventional performance left the judges puzzled.
—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
At least one employee was puzzled, and another was furious.
—
Jackson Thompson Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Two experts said they were puzzled by the release records.
—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puzzled
Adjective
-
At the risk of sounding less like a columnist and more like a bewildered bystander … what the heck happened?
-
Urged by a call from Hugo to destroy her phone and flee Kansas City fast, before WARDEX can get to her, Margaret also hits the road, accompanied initially by a bewildered Jackson.
Adjective
-
By widening the lens, Clark is able to redirect the book’s gaze from the mother toward a quizzical, sometimes critical, but not unaffectionate portrait of two generations of political activism, with the attendant self-involvement and domestic negligence.
-
Carpenter responded with a quizzical frown.
Verb
-
His mother, Ahmani Hicks, describes him as a kid who loved sports, and she's baffled as to why her son was targeted.
-
Known as the Galactic Center Excess, a spherical gamma-ray glow extending out for thousands of light-years from the core of our galaxy, this high-energy light has baffled researchers for over a decade.
Adjective
-
Chuck Leavell, a member of the Allman Brothers from 1972 to 1976 and lifelong ambassador of their music, recalls learning about the unlikely union with a bemused expression.
-
Then came the World Cup, and for a month, a curious if somewhat bemused country sampled the world’s game up close.
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Ana Hernandez, a Pico Gardens resident, is wary of stakeholders behind the BID proposal.
-
Travelers, beware jet skis in the Bahamas Travelers are being warned to be wary of jet ski excursions in the Bahamas, a popular cruise and vacation destination for Americans.
Verb
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And Wednesday’s doubleheader — thanks to a Monday rainout that perplexed Counsell — certainly didn’t help the pitching staff.
-
Many are perplexed by the decision to partner with Target given the boycott taking place due to the company’s rollback of DEI initiatives.
Adjective
-
Don't be surprised if this nutty, caramel-y, chocolaty snack mix disappears quickly!
-
That is probably what surprised, and delighted, me the most.
Adjective
-
Berkeley adopted a more cautious approach.
-
The data also points to a more cautious approach to automation than much of the AI industry’s messaging might suggest.
Cite this Entry
“Puzzled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzled. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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