as in to perplex
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
we were mystified by the sudden changes in the tax code
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Recent Examples of mystify
God knows, Korine’s Baby Invasion wasn’t beholden to anything except his own nihilistic vision (and a mystifying continuing attachment to feature length runtimes).
—
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2024
Edward Norton supplies the film with a gentle Pete Seeger, someone used to leading audiences in peaceful, utopian song but increasingly mystified by this newcomer who sharpens the folk movement into a spear and then takes the battle in a completely different direction.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
By Sarah Lewin Frasier Martin Gardner’s Mathematical Games column in Scientific American fascinated and mystified readers for decades—and his legacy continues to bring mathematicians, artists and puzzlers together.
—Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2024
Here's why Scorpios epitomize Halloween and all things mystifying.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mystify 
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2024
Edward Norton supplies the film with a gentle Pete Seeger, someone used to leading audiences in peaceful, utopian song but increasingly mystified by this newcomer who sharpens the folk movement into a spear and then takes the battle in a completely different direction.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
By Sarah Lewin Frasier Martin Gardner’s Mathematical Games column in Scientific American fascinated and mystified readers for decades—and his legacy continues to bring mathematicians, artists and puzzlers together.
—Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2024
Here's why Scorpios epitomize Halloween and all things mystifying.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mystify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mystify
Verb
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The Highlanders’ zone defense can perplex their opponents.—
Steve Fryer,
Orange County Register,
16 Jan. 2025
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The box office achievement category continues to perplex For its sophomore year, this category — meant to ensure that movies most people have actually seen do at least get some kind of awards recognition at the Globes — still managed to secure some curious choices.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
9 Dec. 2024
Verb
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After a whirlwind of speculation and confusing back-and-forth negotiations, the Jacksonville Jaguars have officially hired former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Liam Coen as their new head coach.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
25 Jan. 2025
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Some residents have confused local law enforcement for ICE agents, said Earl Stoddard, an assistant chief administrative officer in Montgomery County, a sign of locals' anxieties that their neighborhood could be the agency's next target.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
arkansasonline.com,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Many fans online seemed shocked and bewildered by her post asking for another natural disaster.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
17 Jan. 2025
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Other creators named in the suit had quicker but equally bewildered responses.—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Rolling Stone,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Returning to a solely home console or handheld game system would be baffling (though handheld- or console-only variants like the Nintendo Switch Lite aren't out of the question as alternative models).—
Will Greenwald,
PCMAG,
16 Jan. 2025
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And like so many fans, Pomeroy is baffled by the CFP selection process.—
Jon Wilner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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That disaster is where Peacock’s new limited series gets its name, but the show focuses on Dr. Jim Swire (Colin Firth) and his decades long mission to answer major puzzling questions about what happened.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
6 Jan. 2025
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In an interview with Variety Friday, the actress, who earned a nod for Best Actress for her role as Elphaba in the film, said she was puzzled that Chu didn’t earn a nod for the film.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The 30-year-old rode his befuddling changeup to a career-low 1.25 ERA with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2024, despite making only 22 appearances because of a back injury.—
Newsweek,
Newsweek,
9 Jan. 2025
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The Vanderbilt offense that befuddled Alabama and did enough to win at Kentucky and Auburn found answers early.—
Joe Rexrode,
The Athletic,
1 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near mystify
Cite this Entry
“Mystify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mystify. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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