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
Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Everyone already knows about the Red Sox’s struggles, especially at the plate, but the Mariners and Tigers’ early slumps have been equally puzzling.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
Matt Gelb, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Over the course of six months, black lesions and deep ulcers formed over the body of a 78-year-old man, puzzling doctors.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for puzzling
Adjective
However, the Echoes From the Past creators made the puzzling and terrifying artistic choice to have VR visitors ride outside the sub during the descent.
—Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Everyone already knows about the Red Sox’s struggles, especially at the plate, but the Mariners and Tigers’ early slumps have been equally puzzling.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
Alvarado, however, continued a puzzling trend.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Over the course of six months, black lesions and deep ulcers formed over the body of a 78-year-old man, puzzling doctors.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for puzzling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puzzling
Adjective
-
That’s inexplicable given the severe consequences in an urban area.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
-
The passage leads them to discuss the challenges of adapting Morrison’s novels for film, the power of evoking the inexplicable, and the influence of African folk tales on Morrison’s work.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
What might motivate Rozier to take part in such as scheme is perplexing.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
The right-hander has struggled to maintain his velocity this season, a perplexing trend largely stemming from an inconsistency in his mechanics.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The slow starts are baffling to Becht.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
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As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The pilot episode’s cold open showed Edward’s (now-deceased) wife, Grace (Dee Wallace), being attacked by a mysterious, spindly creature in the middle of the night.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
26 May 2026
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The love letter element is also particularly special for BTS and ARMY, as the entire Arirang campaign initially kicked off with BTS asking fans #WhatIsYourLoveSong in a mysterious, global campaign — a love that continues to this day.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Adjective
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Grief is one of the most confounding aspects of the human experience.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
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But even more than engaging the big ideas that Emma’s revelation triggers — pun somewhat intended — Lee and Borli wanted to craft an experience that would mimic its main characters’ bewildering interiority.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
6 Apr. 2026
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There aren’t many ways to earn a club’s first win better than bewildering the league’s defending champions at their place.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Europeans, Bennett notes, find this genuinely incomprehensible.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
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Ashly's death is an incomprehensible tragedy.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
That’s just a really bizarre back and forth to exist in.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
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As the story builds toward a violent showdown between the mourners and the town, the reader will be entranced by its surreal language and bizarre logic.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puzzling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzling. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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