1
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
her explanation did little to relieve his puzzlement
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2
as in mystery
something hard to understand or explain
the whole situation remains a puzzlement to everyone who was there
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Recent Examples of puzzlement
Closeups of her face in various states of puzzlement, affection, or frustration dazzle, and remove any doubt: Liu is a star.
—
Caleb Hammond, IndieWire, 1 Sep. 2025
His quotes circulated widely, shared by bloggers and fans on social media with a bit of puzzlement and delight but with little follow-up or explanation.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
Still, imagery and data collected by the probe's instruments are portraying some head-scratching puzzlement.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 6 May 2025
Theorists could scarcely contain their excitement—or their profound puzzlement.
—Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puzzlement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puzzlement
Noun
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Multiple helpers can slow response during urgent scams and create confusion when fast decisions matter.—
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The category confusion continued this year.—
Noun
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The Sheep Detectives in theaters, May 8 Yes, the detectives are literally sheep, who are moved to solve the mystery of their shepherd’s (Hugh Jackman) murder.—
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The biggest mystery of the 2025 San Francisco 49ers has been why Sigle was not able to see the field in the second half of the year.—
Noun
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Freezing fog makes driving, boating, flying, and other forms of transportation particularly hazardous.—
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Streetlights flickered before large parts of the city were plunged into darkness, as a thick fog settled over the streets and temperatures plummeted to –5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit).—
Noun
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The same bewilderment struck me again today, the morning after the finale premiered, when so many fellow critics took White’s ending to task, if not everything that preceded it.—
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Ironically, this state of cultural bewilderment is now typical of many of the experts who spend their lives studying American government.—
Cite this Entry
“Puzzlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzlement. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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