as in perplexing
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as in thwarting
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in frustrating
to prevent from achieving a goal
the language barrier baffled everyone and discouraged us from attempting another teleconference
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2
as in puzzling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
she was baffled by the wording of the clause in the insurance policy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of baffling
Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
What made the league’s hesitation so baffling is that Clark’s rise lifts everyone around her.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Georgia basketball’s matchup with Tennessee ended in baffling fashion Wednesday night.
—Olivia Sayer, AJC.com, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for baffling
Adjective
Knoblauch’s contract normally would provide strong job security, but the baffling inconsistency of the Oilers inside the defensive zone must be fixed.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
What made the league’s hesitation so baffling is that Clark’s rise lifts everyone around her.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
That said, the good outweighs the baffling.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
Georgia basketball’s matchup with Tennessee ended in baffling fashion Wednesday night.
—Olivia Sayer, AJC.com, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for baffling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baffling
Adjective
-
The whole situation was perplexing.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Our universe is full of mysteries, but few are as perplexing as the dark, tiny galaxies that hover around larger ones like the Milky Way.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The attack’s thwarting was an undeniable success.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The thwarting of the Charlotte Hornets, one of the NBA’s fastest squads, is the quintessential White play.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
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But as of last month, the FDA has twice opted not to approve RP1, puzzling researchers and worrying drug developers.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
2 May 2026
-
Alvarado, however, continued a puzzling trend.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Though Hathaway’s work doesn’t make sense of the film’s confusing political turns, her fraught navigation of the personal and the political plays like a magnetic performance from a better movie.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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Fans aren't happy with FIFA for many reasons Then there was the confusing way FIFA is selling the World Cup tickets, from using lotteries to its hard-to-understand array of seating categories.—
Rafael Nam,
NPR,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Most fans understand that the need for more professional-caliber resources wasn’t going to be met under Mohegan Tribe ownership, but there is deep frustration over the Sun’s relocation out of New England.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
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But for the residents and business-owners, the possibility of another set of G train outage evoked frustration after two years of service suspensions while crews worked to upgrade the signaling system on the Crosstown Line.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In the third game of his career, the 2024 second-round pick re-tore the ACL in his right knee, further hampering an injury history that dated back to his final year at the University of Texas.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
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According to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board, the truck drove through the airport's version of a stop light and the vehicle lacked a transponder, hampering a crash warning system.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 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
Cite this Entry
“Baffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baffling. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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