1
as in inexplicable
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in perplexing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puzzling
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 30 Apr. 2025
He’s pressed into service helping a detective (Salazar, Undone, Parenthood) solve her most puzzling cases.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025
Evan Bush, NBC News, 22 Dec. 2024
The recent sightings of puzzling unidentified aircraft in New Jersey and other states have triggered yet another round of unanswered questions — and fueled conspiracy theories.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 21 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for puzzling
Adjective
But in 1997, theorists identified a puzzling exception: one particular mode appeared out of sync, an inconsistency that couldn't be explained by existing models.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 30 Apr. 2025
He’s pressed into service helping a detective (Salazar, Undone, Parenthood) solve her most puzzling cases.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
But in several puzzling cases, no source of infection has been identified.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 22 Dec. 2024
The recent sightings of puzzling unidentified aircraft in New Jersey and other states have triggered yet another round of unanswered questions — and fueled conspiracy theories.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 21 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for puzzling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puzzling
Adjective
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Trump entered negotiations to end the war in Ukraine by presenting Putin with a bouquet of inexplicable concessions.—
Andrew Ryvkin,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2025
-
Boca una locura; a mad, inexplicable, head’s-gone kind of thing.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Ehlers’ usage with the Jets has long been perplexing with 2024-25 being his third straight season playing under 16 minutes.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
-
In the end, Blakey said, the forces that landed Madigan in his courtroom were perplexing.—
Ray Long,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2025
Adjective
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All do so, apart from the titular madman, who has a mysterious reason to stay behind.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
20 June 2025
-
The story in the graphic novel picks up 10 years after the events of the eponymous 1980 movie, as Joliet Jake disappears from prison under mysterious circumstances.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Some baffling decisions were made that fundamentally alter not only her characterization and arc, but the very nature of the story itself.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
-
These new elements are neither remarkable nor unwelcome, but devoting time to them at the expense of Stitch is an utterly baffling decision.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
In a brittle, anxious, nonlinear, incomprehensible (BANI) world where change is the only constant, the leadership traits that once earned respect—tenacity, decisiveness and stoicism—are no longer enough.—
Arthi Rabikrisson,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
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Each episode represents an hour in the staff’s frenetic, 15-hour day that culminates with a mass casualty shooting and an incomprehensible case of the measles involving an unvaccinated child.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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The extent to which that price shock would be sustainable is unclear.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
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Also, a lamppost at the northwest corner of the pier was secured by yellow caution tape in the days before the fire for reasons that were unclear in the report.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
While most players at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship are battling the Texas heat, slow play, and a demanding Fields Ranch East layout, Leona Maguire is dealing with something far more bizarre—tick bites!—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 June 2025
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The bizarre mix of world football and American football was once again clashing early in the game.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
Burnout is no longer a vague emotional state but a measurable physiological response driven by chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and cellular fatigue.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
-
Many — most? — people have only a vague understanding of what the other is really up to.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puzzling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzling. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
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