perplexing
adjective
per·plex·ing
pər-ˈplek-siŋ 
: difficult to understand : causing confusion
A perplexing feature of insomnia is that people seem to overestimate their sleep loss.—
Rita L. Atkinson et al.
Rita L. Atkinson et al.Chronic acalculous biliary disorders are among the most perplexing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in medicine.—Richard M. Gore
Richard M. GoreA perplexing problem, often encountered by cat owners, is that of a refusal to use the litterbox after using it for years in the past.—Susan L. Mathews
Susan L. Mathews
perplexingly
adverb
a perplexingly complex problem
This was all that I could observe of her in the dim light and under the perplexingly strange circumstances of our meeting.
—Wilkie Collins
Wilkie Collins
Examples of perplexing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Despite these extraordinary gains, recent research published in PNAS Nexus highlights two deeply perplexing contradictions in women’s psychological well-being: the paradox of declining female happiness and the paradox of the contented female worker.
—Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Queen’s habit of grinning in intense huddles or after a bad practice is both endearing and perplexing.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Multiple voices in one hand blended into fistfuls of color, and perplexing emphases on accompaniment figures served to distract, rather than elucidate, the musical argument.
—Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launches New Glenn rocket: What to know about SpaceX rival
What's perplexing, the researchers said, is that the magnetar in the galaxy should have disappeared long ago.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2025
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Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Queen’s habit of grinning in intense huddles or after a bad practice is both endearing and perplexing.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Multiple voices in one hand blended into fistfuls of color, and perplexing emphases on accompaniment figures served to distract, rather than elucidate, the musical argument.
—Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launches New Glenn rocket: What to know about SpaceX rival
What's perplexing, the researchers said, is that the magnetar in the galaxy should have disappeared long ago.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perplexing
Cite this Entry
“Perplexing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perplexing. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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