nonplussed 1 of 2

variants also nonplused
as in perplexed
faced with difficulty or uncertainty about what to say, think, or do the self-possessed actress seemed uncharacteristically nonplussed after the director's harsh appraisal of her performance

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nonplussed

2 of 2

verb

variants also nonplused
past tense of nonplus

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nonplussed
Adjective
So much so that Young is nonplussed about her innermost thoughts blasting from the radio. Mike Wass, Variety, 21 Jan. 2025 Partly to dispel the uncharacteristically nonplussed expression on his friend’s face, Thadeus says, with some humor, There is no family. Han Ong, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2025 Crosby often comes off as nonplussed after moving up the NHL scoring charts. Rob Rossi, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024 That nonplussed energy that is actually, in fact, very much plussed. Aamina Inayat Khan, StyleCaster, 18 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for nonplussed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonplussed
Adjective
  • Ellie seemed perplexed when she was told by police that her father was missing.
    Lauren A. White, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2025
  • This was followed by a photo of Bronze, who was also wearing Crocs, holding another fish on the end of a line and looking a little perplexed.
    Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • In the two years since Tommy Elliott was killed in a mass shooting, Maryanne Elliott’s grief has, in turns, left her aghast and overwhelmed, bewildered and incapacitated, grateful and wanting to die.
    Kristina Goetz, USA Today, 13 Apr. 2025
  • In the now-viral video, the tuxedo cat crawls out from under the bed, wide-eyed and bewildered.
    Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Chasing perfection this offseason required Webb to tweak the pitch that, ironically, most baffled hitters.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Surrounding the headliners are grumpy arena security, who spend the night wearing baffled expressions watching a sea of adults cheer and laugh and applaud over imaginary characters engaged in battles no one can actually see, and rolls of acrylic dice just 16 millimeters in size.
    Eric Francisco, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Many people get confused by these forms which contain code and jargon that rarely offer a clear explanation of anything.
    Steve Weisman, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
  • The Ice Age mammals, which should not be confused with the larger woolly mammoths, seemed to have an had an affinity for Orange County, where this one — and about a third of the state’s total — have been found.
    Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • First thing's first: Sweating is a completely normal bodily function and not something to be embarrassed about, health experts say.
    Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Are those people embarrassed not to have read Lispector?
    New York Times, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • In it, Rogen plays a flustered Hollywood executive who gets an unexpected promotion as the head of a movie studio after his boss is fired.
    NPR Staff, NPR, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Many of the world’s best players left flustered by Pete and Alice Dye’s grand examination.
    Justin Ray, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Nonplussed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonplussed. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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