perplex
verb
per·plex
pər-ˈpleks 
perplexed; perplexing; perplexes
1
: to make unable to grasp something clearly or to think logically and decisively about something
her attitude perplexes me
a perplexing problem
2
: to make intricate or involved : complicate
Synonyms
Examples of perplex in a Sentence
Questions about the meaning of life have always perplexed humankind.
let's not perplex the issue further with irrelevant concerns
Recent Examples on the Web
Once its polypeptide chain is assembled, a protein can fold into its structure within a thousandth of a second — a timescale that perplexed the molecular biologist Cyrus Levinthal.
—
Quanta Magazine, 26 June 2024
We've been told that the audit is coming, but we are perplexed as to why the company couldn't simply wait until that piece was in place before launching.
—PCMAG, 24 June 2024
He's still perplexed by the secret of the show's longevity.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 5 June 2024
The vastness and mundanity of interplanetary travel ribs 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the final showdown, where our heroes battle an AI and get it to self-destruct by perplexing it with logic, is a move straight out of the Star Trek playbook.
—Jordan Hoffman, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for perplex 
Quanta Magazine, 26 June 2024
We've been told that the audit is coming, but we are perplexed as to why the company couldn't simply wait until that piece was in place before launching.
—PCMAG, 24 June 2024
He's still perplexed by the secret of the show's longevity.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 5 June 2024
The vastness and mundanity of interplanetary travel ribs 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the final showdown, where our heroes battle an AI and get it to self-destruct by perplexing it with logic, is a move straight out of the Star Trek playbook.
—Jordan Hoffman, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for perplex
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perplex.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near perplex
Cite this Entry
“Perplex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perplex. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perplex
verb
per·plex
pər-ˈpleks
1
: to block the understanding of
especially
: confuse sense 1a, bewilder
2
: to make difficult to understand : complicate
perplexed
adjective
-ˈplekst
perplexedly
adverb
-ˈplek-səd-lē
-ˈpleks-tlē
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