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
Frank Landymore, Futurism, 28 Jan. 2026
And the most puzzling aspect of the loss was Carolina’s offense, which sputtered throughout a foggy afternoon.
—Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
Dallas Morning News, 9 Feb. 2026
Yet along with the congratulations to Schofield and her husband, Michael, came a rather puzzling rejoinder.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for puzzling
Adjective
The onlooker, Guillermo Dapelo, told People that the delivery bot had been stuck on the tracks for around fifteen minutes before being struck, making the incident all the more puzzling.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 28 Jan. 2026
And the most puzzling aspect of the loss was Carolina’s offense, which sputtered throughout a foggy afternoon.
—Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
Verb
Moore said the decision was puzzling given his recent work with the administration on bipartisan priorities.
—Dallas Morning News, 9 Feb. 2026
Yet along with the congratulations to Schofield and her husband, Michael, came a rather puzzling rejoinder.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for puzzling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puzzling
Adjective
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Indeed, they are considered one of those inexplicable phenomena only North Americans like, along with American football, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and widespread gun ownership.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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The visual journey reflected on what was and never will be again, the cruel separation of the brothers, and the inexplicable connection between life and cinema, memory and reality.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The oven was equally perplexing.—
Jason Fried,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
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It’s been part of a perplexing trend this season for Peterson, who has missed 10 full games and notable portions of 10 others with nagging injuries.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Georgia basketball’s matchup with Tennessee ended in baffling fashion Wednesday night.—
Olivia Sayer,
AJC.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The pilot of a private jet reportedly made an eerie discovery while flying thousands of feet over Rhode Island, marking the latest in unexplained encounters baffling both experts and civilians alike.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
22 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Massie’s comments shined a new spotlight on Les Wexner, the former owner of Victoria’s Secret, who is one of the most mysterious figures in Epstein’s orbit – a key player in helping the financier’s rise to extreme wealth, whose motivations and ties to Epstein have long been a source of speculation.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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The parades are organized by elite and mysterious krewes that spend months preparing for the holiday, decorating their floats and selecting those who get to ride on them.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 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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Even a principled, well-meaning actor like Claude could face bewildering ethical conflicts.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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And aren’t our real-life romantic complications bewildering enough?—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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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
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This effort to throttle transparency of a project that is already the subject of international derision is incomprehensible as well as offensive to the public’s right to know.—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In a bizarre twist, Sweden’s Sara Hector and Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund skied identical times — down to the hundredth of a second — in the morning and afternoon to tie for silver.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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Of all the Manhattan’s children—and there are many—the Harvard Cocktail is perhaps the most bizarre.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puzzling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzling. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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