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
Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
One of the most puzzling aspects of Guthrie's disappearance is the motive.
—Stephanie Innes, AZCentral.com, 13 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
And possibly the most puzzling.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
One of the most puzzling aspects of Guthrie's disappearance is the motive.
—Stephanie Innes, AZCentral.com, 13 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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Storrie moves his body in ways inexplicable by science, and the physicality is both funny and hard to look away from.—
Rima Parikh,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2026
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Snowflake is getting hit with inexplicable price-target cuts despite growing product revenue by 30% in its fourth quarter.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
-
The oven was equally perplexing.—
Jason Fried,
The Atlantic,
7 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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The protagonist, Sam, fears the mysterious bear, while her sister is magnetically drawn to him, edging dangerously close.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The film’s plot is thrust in motion when a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, watching as a starry-eyed nurse (Cemre Paksoy) becomes entangled with her mysterious patient (Bruce McKenzie).—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
3 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 actor compares the image of a man blocking a tank, an impulsive move of resistance by one person, to how Berenger has to maneuver, then openly question, the increasing aggressive and bizarre actions of his fellow townsfolk.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2026
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But Saturday’s most bizarre finish unfolded at Winter Park High School, where fans of both the Wildcats and Lake Mary ran onto the court to celebrate victory after the horn sounded, ending a low-scoring game that had fans on the edge of their seats all night.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puzzling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzling. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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