that baffles me

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "that baffles me" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when expressing confusion or a lack of understanding about something. Example: "The complexity of the universe is something that baffles me."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

"That's the part that baffles me".

The New York Times

This is an argument that baffles me, but you hear it all the time.

The New York Times

The thing that baffles me is how the rich continue to get richer off of their own wealth.

University of California, Berkeley

One of the things that baffles me is why more people are not alarmed by what Edward Snowden has been telling us about the scale and intrusiveness of internet surveillance.

The Guardian - Tech

Here's another one that baffles me.

HuffPost

The one that baffles me the most is Girls.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

I often get similar letters that baffle me, too.

Independent

The thing that baffled me most has been the smallest.

The Guardian - Opinion

There was a vast hall with dangling metal objects like baskets that baffled me entirely.

The Guardian - Film

Bob had ridden P.B.P. many times and, for reasons that baffled me, loved to do it on a tandem.

The New York Times - Sports

It wasn't just how men behaved towards women in management positions that baffled me, but how some women took other women less seriously too.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "that baffles me" to express genuine confusion or lack of understanding, rather than disagreement or disapproval. It's most effective when conveying a sense of mild bemusement.

Common error

Avoid using "that baffles me" too frequently, as it can make your writing sound repetitive. Vary your expressions with synonyms like "that confuses me" or "that puzzles me" to maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "that baffles me" functions as a subject complement, expressing the speaker's reaction to a particular subject or situation. As Ludwig AI confirms, this expression is used to indicate confusion or a lack of understanding.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Academia

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "that baffles me" is a useful expression for conveying confusion or a lack of understanding, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. While grammatically correct and suitable for various contexts, it's most commonly found in news and media, as well as academic settings. For more formal writing, consider alternatives like "I find that perplexing". To avoid redundancy, vary your expressions by using synonyms such as "that confuses me" or "that puzzles me".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

That confuses me

Replaces "baffles" with a more common and direct synonym, softening the tone slightly.

That puzzles me

Substitutes "baffles" with "puzzles", implying a sense of mystery or intrigue rather than simple confusion.

I find that perplexing

Uses a more formal and academic term, "perplexing", and shifts the sentence structure to emphasize the speaker's perspective.

I don't understand that

Offers a straightforward and simple alternative, suitable for informal settings.

That's beyond my comprehension

Emphasizes the speaker's inability to grasp the concept, suggesting a higher level of complexity.

I'm at a loss to explain that

Indicates not only a lack of understanding but also an inability to provide a reason or justification.

That's a mystery to me

Presents the situation as an unsolvable puzzle, highlighting the speaker's bewilderment.

That's incomprehensible to me

Similar to "beyond my comprehension" but more direct and less formal.

I'm bewildered by that

Replaces "baffles" with "bewildered", conveying a sense of being completely perplexed and disoriented.

That stumps me

Uses a more informal and colloquial expression to indicate a problem that is difficult to solve or understand.

FAQs

How can I use "that baffles me" in a sentence?

You can use "that baffles me" to express confusion or a lack of understanding about something. For example, "The persistence of certain outdated beliefs is something "that baffles me"."

What can I say instead of "that baffles me"?

You can use alternatives like ""that confuses me"", ""that puzzles me"", or "I don't understand that" depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use "that baffles me" in writing?

It is appropriate to use "that baffles me" when you want to express mild confusion or bemusement about something, typically in a neutral or informal context.

Is "that baffles me" grammatically correct?

Yes, "that baffles me" is grammatically correct. The word "that" introduces a relative clause, and "baffles me" is a standard verb phrase indicating confusion.