perplex
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cause to be puzzled or bewildered over what is not understood or certain; confuse mentally.
Her strange response perplexed me.
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to make complicated or confused, as a matter or question.
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to hamper with complications, confusion, or uncertainty.
verb
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to puzzle; bewilder; confuse
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to complicate
to perplex an issue
Other Word Forms
- perplexer noun
Etymology
Origin of perplex
First recorded in 1585–95; back formation from perplexed
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When she and her family inevitably left town and didn’t stumble upon Charlie Brown and his motley crew, she was perplexed.
From Los Angeles Times
The December slump has perplexed investors, given that the final month of the year is historically one of the strongest in terms of stock performance, with an average gain of around 1.4%.
From Barron's
Now, facing irrelevance and the perplexing 1960s, she falters.
The study also found a perplexing rise in unexplained illnesses.
There are anomalies in the labor market, which are leaving people like your son feeling perplexed.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
