1
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
her explanation did little to relieve his puzzlement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mystery
something hard to understand or explain
the whole situation remains a puzzlement to everyone who was there
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of puzzlement
Still, imagery and data collected by the probe's instruments are portraying some head-scratching puzzlement.
—
Leonard David, Space.com, 6 May 2025
Theorists could scarcely contain their excitement—or their profound puzzlement.
—Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2025
The strategy drew puzzlement from economists, who quickly found errors and inconsistencies in how the administration calculated the new tariff rates.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
My pride from the day before turned to puzzlement, then frustration, and finally embarrassment.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 2 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for puzzlement
Leonard David, Space.com, 6 May 2025
Theorists could scarcely contain their excitement—or their profound puzzlement.
—Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2025
The strategy drew puzzlement from economists, who quickly found errors and inconsistencies in how the administration calculated the new tariff rates.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
My pride from the day before turned to puzzlement, then frustration, and finally embarrassment.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 2 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for puzzlement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puzzlement
Noun
-
The campaign immediately received backlash and prompted confusion from doctors who dismissed its effectiveness.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Rookie Pat Bryant, split out wide, had his hands outstretched in confusion for six full seconds before the ball was actually snapped.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the forties, exactly how the body dealt with starvation remained a mystery.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
-
At this time, Mone's mystery opponent has not been listed internally.—
Fernando Quiles Jr,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Defense Secretary, meanwhile, vanishes into a personal fog, thinking only of his daughter (Kaitlyn Dever), who lives in Chicago.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Particularly in the case of the latter two galaxies, the radio jets seem to be interacting with the intra-cluster medium, which is a thick fog of hot plasma that fills galaxy clusters, and this interaction is shaping both the jets and the radio rings.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In a marked contrast to the undisguised anger, bitter satire, and clear-eyed analysis of his colleagues, bewilderment became the theme of his monologue.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Other residents in the neighborhood have expressed their bewilderment over the incident.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puzzlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzlement. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share