puzzled 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of puzzlednext
1
as in bewildered

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in quizzical

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

puzzled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of puzzle
as in baffled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty it is the cause of the disease that puzzles doctors

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for puzzled
  1. bewildered
  2. quizzical
  3. bemused
  4. wary
  5. surprised
  6. cautious
  7. confused
  8. paranoid
Adjective
  • In this day and age, where 4K is normal, even HD is considered blurry; however, the decision to shoot with the prosumer camcorder at a resolution of 480 on to MiniDV paid off, and Murphy’s bewildered walk through Westminster is still genuinely iconic.
    Carlton Reid, WIRED, 19 Sep. 2024
  • There this brilliant but bewildered scientist gets cornered by a plutocrat with impertinent questions.
    Alan Scherstuhl, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
Definition of bewildered
Adjective
  • Game 1 peaked with 17.8 million viewers at around the same time Yankees manager Aaron Boone made the quizzical decision to send in long-dormant starter Nestor Cortes to face Shohei Ohtani with one out in the bottom of the 10th.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 Oct. 2024
  • With his guitar held high and against his chest, his eyebrows cocked in that way that could be quizzical or menacing depending upon the setting, Matthews unleashed his quirky vocals.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024
Definition of quizzical
Adjective
  • The contrast between Blethyn’s Cynthia, all twitching nerves, emotionally raw and vulnerable, and the calm, restrained, often bemused performance of Jean-Baptiste as Hortense forms the emotional core of the film.
    Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Oct. 2024
  • At the dining table in Turin, L. seemed bemused by all the attention, and said little.
    D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
Definition of bemused
Adjective
  • More blue-chip sponsors are wary of such shows, which often align themselves with a vocal niche of progressives or conservatives.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Look for a refund policy: Be wary of any ticket listings that don’t offer clear details about the terms of the transaction.
    Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Nov. 2024
Definition of wary
Adjective
  • Another video shared on X showed Swift clapping with a surprised look on her face and waving her arm in the air next to her mom while celebrating a Chiefs touchdown.
    Becca Longmire, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Campaign-finance expert Meredith McGehee, former head of the nonpartisan political reform group Issue One, wasn’t surprised that Harris had such an advantage.
    Zach Everson, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Definition of surprised
Adjective
  • As consumers continue to be cautious about their spending, Amazon’s focus on cheaper items could keep it ahead of competitors like Target (TGT+2.53%), Walmart (WMT+0.53%), and discount grocer Aldi, all of which are racing to lower prices in response to changing shopping habits.
    Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Over recent months, concerns about inflation and economic stability have kept the Fed on a cautious path, with officials maintaining a close watch on key indicators.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Definition of cautious
Verb
  • The Myth of Being Busy In the modern workplace, there’s a troubling trend where busyness is confused with productivity.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
  • Each executive pushes their own agenda, leaving teams confused about what really matters and where to focus their efforts.
    Chaitra Vedullapalli, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Definition of confused
Adjective
  • Pic follow Vietnam veteran Jonathan Teller, who suffers from guilt and paranoid delusions.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
  • Director Satoshi Kon uses the medium to his advantage, to be sure, utilizing the reality-bending possibilities of animation to take viewers inside his heroine's paranoid, fractured headspace.
    Katie Rife, EW.com, 25 Oct. 2024
Definition of paranoid
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near puzzled

puzzle

puzzled

puzzled (out)

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Cite this Entry

“Puzzled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzled. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on puzzled

Nglish: Translation of puzzled for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of puzzled for Arabic Speakers

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