1
as in inexplicable
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2
as in perplexing
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Dissimilar Words
as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
it is the cause of the disease that puzzles doctors
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puzzling
Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 23 Feb. 2026
And possibly the most puzzling.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Adelman’s second-quarter rotations remain, to put it kindly, puzzling.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for puzzling
Adjective
Why Dark Matter Matters Dark matter is one of the most puzzling components of our universe.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 23 Feb. 2026
And possibly the most puzzling.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
Lawyers at Davidson County’s juvenile court found the presence of this bright, courteous young man puzzling.
—James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Adelman’s second-quarter rotations remain, to put it kindly, puzzling.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for puzzling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puzzling
Adjective
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There are few things that bring me pure, inexplicable joy.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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And because most women don’t know about the estrogen-dopamine connection, and most doctors don’t either, the crash feels inexplicable and deeply personal.—
Sarah Oreck,
SELF,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Mamdani’s revenue estimates look realistic rather than usefully bleak; notwithstanding his perplexing series of revisions, the gap appears to be real.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
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The craze is perplexing to parents, but Bennett said the Hornets have embraced it to bring joy to young people.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Though still fuming from his team’s baffling loss to the Bulls – the Warriors squandered an eight-point lead with 91 seconds remaining – Kerr found his composure long enough to crack a joke.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
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Georgia basketball’s matchup with Tennessee ended in baffling fashion Wednesday night.—
Olivia Sayer,
AJC.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Remote and mysterious, Rapa Nui continues to awe visitors who wonder how its earliest navigators found this isolated corner of the Pacific.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
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This is the most mysterious part of this for now.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In 2021, one year into D’Amaro’s tenure and following COVID shutdowns, Disney did away with FastPass and introduced a confounding and very costly series of pay-to-skip passes, which require timing advanced booking of limited slots in these formerly free-to-enter shorter lines.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
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The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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McNutt housed some 700 kids — about one-third of the population of French Lick — and Bird found the campus outside the dormitory walls bewildering.—
Keith O'Brien,
Rolling Stone,
22 Feb. 2026
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Even a principled, well-meaning actor like Claude could face bewildering ethical conflicts.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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By dismissing shooters as incomprehensible villains, Peterson says, families and communities may miss warning signs in the young people around them.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
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The crime thriller featured Benicio Del Toro’s breakout role as the incomprehensible low-level criminal Fred Fenster.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The eccentric cast of characters around him match his energy nicely, particularly McGinley's genuinely bizarre Walter, whose manic energy is a frequent source of humor.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
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Sometimes football throws up these bizarre twists of fate.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puzzling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzling. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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