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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mystify
The 80-minute doc is currently in production and delves into the mystifying world of infamous art, wealth and power.
—
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 June 2025
My wall craves narrative but also knows that human behavior can be mystifying, and that attempting to make order from chaos is doomed to fail.
—Sarah Weinman, The Atlantic, 18 June 2025
Some things that had initially mystified him, like the tendency for pedestrians in Cambridge to cross streets against traffic lights, eventually bothered him less.
—Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 3 June 2025
His commitment to his craft was mystifying to behold.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mystify
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 June 2025
My wall craves narrative but also knows that human behavior can be mystifying, and that attempting to make order from chaos is doomed to fail.
—Sarah Weinman, The Atlantic, 18 June 2025
Some things that had initially mystified him, like the tendency for pedestrians in Cambridge to cross streets against traffic lights, eventually bothered him less.
—Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 3 June 2025
His commitment to his craft was mystifying to behold.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mystify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mystify
Verb
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At the time, I was perplexed and questioned if this was necessary.—
Susan Horava,
Health,
24 June 2025
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Ultimately, the remaining Islanders dumped Jeremiah and Hannah, a controversial move that left viewers at home perplexed as to why this decision was made.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
23 June 2025
Verb
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Two people can deliver the same message, but their delivery style can make the difference between motivating and confusing a team.—
Kendra MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
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By 1915, scientists unearthed 2 million bones of large animals from La Brea, and a pattern emerged that both excited and confused them: too many predators.—
Ian Rose,
JSTOR Daily,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Still, my friends and I, specifically those who were teen-agers or older at the time of 9/11, have been bewildered by the Islamophobia of the moment, which feels especially vintage and plainspoken, not massaged into obfuscatory rhetoric or angling for any greater point.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
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In the moment, Kyle looked bewildered that the musician had singled him out, smiling with his mouth open in shock.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Money terms and concepts continue to baffle people, many of whom are seeking answers through online searches.—
Russ Wiles,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
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Even with the other guys' admonitions not to, under any circumstances, be themselves, Dee and Charlie's improbable success in charming these scions of the Philly upper crust had the guys — and us — both baffled and anxiously awaiting an ugly twist.—
Dennis Perkins,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
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One especially puzzling discovery is shown in a narrow closet.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
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Another puzzling question was what to do with the long, narrow goat stable.—
Aileen Weintraub,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 July 2025
Verb
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The mix of the slow-motion roll of the ball with the studs of his right boot to befuddle poor Axel Disasi and the thunderous power of the left-foot finish past the head of Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was pure poetry.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
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As the celebrations flowed with Champagne and a decadent pâtisserie bar, Running Point star Chet Hanks was spotted roaming the venue, looking slightly befuddled.—
Rachel Marlowe,
Vogue,
22 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mystify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mystify. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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