perplex
verb (used with object)
to cause to be puzzled or bewildered over what is not understood or certain; confuse mentally.
were perplexing
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past progressiveof perplex.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
But the details, many said, were perplexing, and had stirred new questions about science, but also about trust, social norms and even politics.
From New York Times ● May 15, 2021
Still, the collection’s initial sales figures were perplexing.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 2, 2019
Some of the space-saving decisions, such as easy-to-reach reading lights attached to the bed’s headboard, were helpful, but many were perplexing.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 10, 2016
Such criticisms were perplexing to a man who regularly jumps from field to field.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 8, 2011
As to his shirt-collar, and his coat-collar, they were perplexing to reflect upon,—insoluble mysteries both.
From Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
