perplexing

adjective

per·​plex·​ing pər-ˈplek-siŋ How to pronounce perplexing (audio)
: difficult to understand : causing confusion
A perplexing feature of insomnia is that people seem to overestimate their sleep loss.Rita L. Atkinson et al.
Chronic acalculous biliary disorders are among the most perplexing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in medicine.Richard M. Gore
A 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
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

Examples of perplexing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web His demand to be reinstated at Verve is perplexing in light of his efforts, as reported in the press, to try to start a small agency of his own. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 Not pursuing future third-party IP might make business sense, but abandoning a project that would so obviously be a huge hit is perplexing and disappointing to say the least. Erik Kain, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 For those just arriving, being caught in the middle of the nation’s debate over immigration can feel perplexing. Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 But for a national broadcaster mandated to reflect all audiences across the whole of the U.K. to have just one person of color, nobody based outside of London or the South East, and of the recent appointees none with editorial or broadcast experience, this is perplexing and limiting. Byrozina Breen, Fortune Europe, 1 Feb. 2024 His veto statement was perplexing, seeming to accept the premises of transgender activists in dubbing these treatments a matter of life or death, yet also professing to agree with the legislature that body-altering surgery should not be performed on minors. David Harsanyi, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024 Become a Subscriber The dustup was perplexing, and not just because Green Day and Rage Against the Machine are totally different bands. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2024 What’s even more perplexing: Nothing resembling this pattern has occurred in other comparably wealthy countries. Emily Badger, New York Times, 11 Dec. 2023 What’s perplexing parents and random shoppers alike is why kids are so focused on products that are made and marketed to adults looking to smooth out wrinkles and hide undereye circles — not exactly the typical concerns of your average fourth grader. Megan McIntyre, Allure, 7 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perplexing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of perplexing was in 1585

Dictionary Entries Near perplexing

Cite this Entry

“Perplexing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perplexing. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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