how perplexing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "how perplexing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express confusion or bewilderment about a situation or statement. Example: "After hearing the explanation, I found the entire situation to be how perplexing."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Realising how much I didn't know, and sensing how perplexing that can be, might explain the huge public reaction there's been to my interviews with Eddie Mair on Radio 4's PM programme.

The Guardian

It's possible the "Get on Up" team thought this narrative chaos was a way to convey how perplexing and confounding a personality Brown was, a self-created individual who maneuvered his way from dire poverty to enormous success but ended up being serially abusive to individuals, whether they be band members or the women in his life, who didn't live up to his own exacting standards.

Los Angeles Times

According to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, there is no official definition of the genus Homo, an indication of just how perplexing the fossil and archeological records have become.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The low is legendary and perplexing: how, for two centuries, has a country with so many resources — creams and butters and handmade cheeses, a practice of grass-feeding sheep and cattle, wild fish, abundant game — produced such a spectacularly loathsome fare?

The New Yorker

At first sight, it is somewhat perplexing how to formalize this notion of nonmonotonic inference, since it seems to require a circular definition of provability that can't be replaced with an inductive definition, as in the nonmonotonic case.

SEP

While the relationship between Nicole and Michael sounds extremely volatile and abusive at times, it's highly perplexing how Nicole Doucet will not be prosecuted any further and Michael was not called to testify.

Vice

But what I've found most perplexing is how the definition of work-life can be so very different from company to company and even how many individuals would describe their own personal work-life needs.

Huffington Post

NO exam question is as perplexing as how to organise schools to suit the huge variety of pupils they serve: rich and poor, clever and dim, early developers and late starters.

The Economist

Yet the boom is also perplexing – because how, when you think about it, can running be an industry at all? Can you think of any other human activity, apart from eating, drinking, sex and defecating, that is so utterly natural as running?

Independent

In finding there was no taking here without saying what standard he employed, Justice Breyer's approach, Justice Scalia said, was "reminiscent of the perplexing question 'How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?' " "He simply pronounces," Justice Scalia said of his colleague, "that this is not a judicial taking if there is such a thing as a judicial taking".

The New York Times

Mr Olmert, himself a former Likudnik, said recently that Israel would have eventually to give up almost all the lands it conquered in 1967, including the Arab parts of Jerusalem.The main question for most Israelis is not whether to withdraw, but the more perplexing when and how to do it safely.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "how perplexing" when you want to express a sense of bewilderment or confusion about a situation that is difficult to understand. Ensure that the context clearly establishes what is causing the perplexity.

Common error

Avoid using "how perplexing" in situations that are merely slightly confusing or require simple clarification. The phrase is most effective when describing deeper, more complex bewilderment.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "how perplexing" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun or situation by emphasizing the degree to which it is confusing or bewildering. It often introduces a relative clause that further explains the source of the perplexity. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "how perplexing" is a valid and grammatically correct way to express confusion or bewilderment, as confirmed by Ludwig. It functions as an adjectival phrase, often introducing a relative clause to explain the source of confusion. While relatively rare, it's appropriate in neutral to formal registers, particularly in news, media, and scientific contexts. According to Ludwig AI, it is important to use the phrase when describing a deeper, more complex bewilderment. Alternatives like "how baffling" or "how confusing" can be used for similar, though potentially less intense, expressions of confusion.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

how baffling

Replaces "perplexing" with a synonym emphasizing a sense of mystery.

how confusing

Substitutes "perplexing" with a more common and straightforward synonym.

how puzzling

Uses a synonym of "perplexing" that emphasizes a sense of being difficult to understand.

why it's so bewildering

Highlights the reason or explanation for something being bewildering.

to what extent it's confusing

Focuses on the degree or scale of the confusing aspect.

the extent of the confusion

Changes the structure to focus on the degree or amount of confusion.

the level of bewilderment

Emphasizes the intensity of being bewildered, rather than the quality of being perplexing.

the degree to which it's mystifying

Alters the phrasing to highlight the mystifying aspect of something.

the source of the bafflement

Shifts the focus to the origin or cause of the bafflement.

the mystery behind it all

Transforms the phrase to emphasize the mysterious nature of the subject.

FAQs

How can I use "how perplexing" in a sentence?

Use "how perplexing" to describe something that causes confusion or difficulty in understanding. For instance, "It's "how perplexing" the situation became after the new evidence surfaced."

What are some alternatives to "how perplexing"?

You can use phrases like "how baffling", "how confusing", or "how puzzling" as alternatives to "how perplexing", depending on the context and the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it appropriate to use "how perplexing" in formal writing?

Yes, "how perplexing" is appropriate for formal writing, especially when describing complex or deeply confusing issues. However, consider your audience and the overall tone of your writing to ensure it fits appropriately.

What makes "how perplexing" different from "how confusing"?

"How perplexing" implies a deeper level of bewilderment and often suggests that something is not easily resolved or understood. "How confusing" may describe something that is simply unclear or disorganized, without the same implication of complexity.