as in mystery
something hard to understand or explain
the conundrum of how an ancient people were able to build such massive structures without the benefit of today's knowledge and technology
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Recent Examples of conundrum
That was always part of the conundrum — when he was drafted first overall in 2018, Mize was hailed for his lethal splitter and his impeccable fastball command.
—
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 6 July 2025
Trump signals deference to farmers on immigrant workers Speaking to a crowd filled with farmers and others with a stake in the agriculture industry, Trump acknowledged a conundrum with his aggressive deportation efforts.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 4 July 2025
The grandparent conundrum is the tendency for kids to act differently around the grandparents than when around the home and often anyone else.
—Caleb Harris, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
This kind of linguistic conundrum is the subject of Speaking in Tongues, published last month.
—Carey Baraka, The Dial, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for conundrum
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 6 July 2025
Trump signals deference to farmers on immigrant workers Speaking to a crowd filled with farmers and others with a stake in the agriculture industry, Trump acknowledged a conundrum with his aggressive deportation efforts.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 4 July 2025
The grandparent conundrum is the tendency for kids to act differently around the grandparents than when around the home and often anyone else.
—Caleb Harris, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
This kind of linguistic conundrum is the subject of Speaking in Tongues, published last month.
—Carey Baraka, The Dial, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for conundrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conundrum
Noun
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So there's going to be a strong reaction in both directions for this mystery houseguest.—
David Wysong,
The Enquirer,
4 July 2025
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The mysteries that remain Even while prosecutors detailed that night, a key question remains: Why did Kohberger target that house and those victims?—
Jesse Bedayn,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2025
Noun
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But to understand the album is to understand the man — or more precisely, the enigma of the man.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
5 July 2025
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The usual first response to the exasperating enigma is that size might make the difference.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Conundrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conundrum. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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