PUZZLEMENT Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

puzzlement

noun

ˈpə-zəl-mənt

Definition of puzzlement

as in confusion

a state of mental uncertainty her explanation did little to relieve his puzzlement

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in mystery

something hard to understand or explain the whole situation remains a puzzlement to everyone who was there

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of puzzlement To the puzzlement of Kelly and the other band members, though, that music rarely included Dead material, and at the start, Weir declined to recruit a lead guitarist to play similar parts to Garcia’s. — David Browne, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026 There is puzzlement on both sides. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026 And that’s led to understandable puzzlement and furious assumptions in reaction to ESPN’s report Tuesday citing four anonymous sources saying Belichick won’t be part of the Hall of Fame’s class of 2026 when it’s announced next week. — Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 28 Jan. 2026 Even though Davis was six years older than Dončic at the time of the trade and had a more extensive injury history, Harrison defended his decision amid overwhelming backlash and puzzlement from Mavs fans as the deal rippled throughout the sport. — Christian Clark, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for puzzlement

Recent Examples of Synonyms for puzzlement

Noun

Election experts have said many instances of noncitizens registering to vote are a result of administrative error or confusion on the part of the immigrant — not intentional criminality.

— Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
The confusion unfolded as a steady stream of women’s half-marathon runners crossed the finish line.

— Vivian Yao, Baltimore Sun, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of confusion

Noun

To get to the bottom of the mystery of the article’s spurious dating, Cade and a team of researchers from around the globe sifted through historic reports and observations of geomagnetic activity to set the record straight.

— Mike McRae October 15, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
In the first, a best-selling mystery author dies, and Benoit Blanc, a charismatic and inquisitive private eye played by Daniel Craig, must investigate.

— New York Times, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of mystery

Noun

Loose white sand blew into the air and whirled around at the edge of the sea like a fog.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
The Tigers’ entourage, scheduled to appear here for SEC Basketball Media Day, could not take off due to the fog, grounding them for their session, the league announced.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of fog

Noun

Religion, fear, prejudice, affection, money, family history, and bewilderment can crowd the same room.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
There are four of us on staff at The Verge actively testing Googlebooks and, frankly, our internal Slack discussions have been mostly filled with collective venting of frustrations, disappointments, and bewilderment.

— Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of bewilderment

Browse Nearby Words

puzzled (out)

puzzlement

puzzlements

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Style

“Puzzlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzlement. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of puzzlement

noun

Example Sentences

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