1
as in to complicate
to make complex or difficult
let's not perplex the issue further with irrelevant concerns
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the question perplexed me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 perplex
Multiple current and former FDA officials said they were perplexed by Makary's claim, given the push for longer trips in the past had been an efficiency measure intended to result in the agency being able to complete more inspections.
—
Paula Cohen, CBS News, 6 May 2025
Archaeologists were perplexed by a strange pair of discs found in Oman – only to discover these items were actually a single 4,000-year-old instrument.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025
For years, the fossilized jawbone has perplexed researchers.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Apr. 2025
But there are differences that can leave college fans perplexed, like when productive and highly decorated players tumble down the draft board.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perplex
Paula Cohen, CBS News, 6 May 2025
Archaeologists were perplexed by a strange pair of discs found in Oman – only to discover these items were actually a single 4,000-year-old instrument.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025
For years, the fossilized jawbone has perplexed researchers.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Apr. 2025
But there are differences that can leave college fans perplexed, like when productive and highly decorated players tumble down the draft board.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perplex
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perplex
Verb
-
While their relationship is complicated, to say the least, Serena doesn't want to see June executed.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
20 May 2025
-
Finding the ideal sleeper sofa for your home can be complicated.—
Maggie Horton,
People.com,
20 May 2025
Verb
-
They were bewildered for me, and so was all the other staff.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Small wonder many of the migrants are disoriented and bewildered.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
What’s more, the double-stitched seams and baffle box design keep lumps at bay.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
28 May 2025
-
The owner shared a video of the car veering left, a video that has Tesla examiner’s baffled.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Verb
-
McGregor dismantled Aldo during the pre-fight lead-up and subsequently embarrassed him in 13 seconds at UFC 194 in 2015.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
-
But Mei is convinced her overbearing mother only exists to embarrass while never understanding her struggles.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
8 May 2025
Verb
-
Also, this word et cetera at the end of the sentence confused me.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
26 May 2025
-
Weir was confused by the man’s unusual conviction, though.—
Louise Erdrich,
New Yorker,
25 May 2025
Verb
-
But very puzzling storytelling choices as well that diminish many of these characters, making Joel and Ellie feel less realized as people and less nuanced as characters, giving Dina and Ellie such a weird cheery vibe (when Dina isn’t mothering Ellie) and so forth.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
-
In 1981, as otherwise healthy gay men started dying of unexpected cancers and infections, a government immunologist named Anthony Fauci pushed aside his other research to focus on the puzzling malady.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perplex.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perplex. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share