nonplus

He found cross-examinations mentally invigorating, soon learned that he could nonplus storming attorneys if he kept smiling no matter how galling their insinuations.

From Time Magazine Archive

The young lord, thus abandoned, looked at first at a nonplus, and seemed for a while more than half-inclined to follow.

From Shrewsbury A Romance by Stanley J. Weyman

The small boy hesitated, plainly at a nonplus.

From The Dop Doctor by Richard Dehan

He finds doubts and scruples better than resolves them, and has always some argument to nonplus himself.

From Microcosmography or, a Piece of the World Discovered; in Essays and Characters by John Earle

Though to distinguish beasts of prey A novice might nonplus; Yet from the Crocodile you may Tell the Hyena, thus: 'Tis the Hyena if it smile; If weeping, 'tis the Crocodile.

From The Wit and Humor of America, Volume IV. (of X.) by Marshall Pinckney Wilder

Leigh Rosser was similarly nonplused while describing his biggest challenge as design fabrication lead.

From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2024

Jamie, who was the team’s best player before Zava’s arrival, is visibly nonplused.

From New York Times ● Mar. 29, 2023

Nicholas Elliott, Philby’s closest friend and a fellow member of the foreign intelligence agency MI6, looks slightly nonplused.

From New York Times ● Mar. 3, 2023

And this, in turn, has left some of his peers nonplused — grumbling at what they see as a flimsy theory or bewildered as to why Harvard’s top astronomer won’t shut up about aliens.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 4, 2019

“I sure could use some lumber for my front porch,” he said, nonplused.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

As his comments become more inflammatory, the film cuts to the increasingly nonplussed reactions of Palantine and an aide, who have realized their driver is unwell.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

Currencies, bonds, and stocks appeared to be nonplussed.

From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026

"This is how I'd do it if I was DJ," he tells a group of nonplussed staff as dance music strains at his laptop speakers.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2025

"It's hard for me to believe that targets and timing and weapons would not have been classified," he told Gabbard, who remained nonplussed.

From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2025

He bolted out of the restaurant, leaving his nonplussed dinner guests behind, to view the evidence for himself.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Weaver, however, verged on nonplussing co-hosts Brian Williams and Rachel Maddow, as well as reporter Steve Kornacki, MSNBC's millennial version of CNN's king-of-the-"Magic Wall" John King.

From US News ● Apr. 20, 2016

He received visitors with the graciousness of the courteous head of a department, who resigns himself to listen to demands, allowing them to talk as he smiled faintly, and nonplussing them by his calmness.

From Une Vie, a Piece of String and Other Stories by Guy de Maupassant

While his powers of discussion of a subject were great, the power that especially characterized him was that of nonplussing his antagonist with a snub or a sarcasm.

From The Brothers' War by John Calvin Reed

Our higher officials are fond as a rule of nonplussing their subordinates; the methods to which they have recourse to attain that end are rather various.

From Fathers and Children by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev

Dismissing this nonplussing phase, I turned to the subject of the gem once more.

From The Paternoster Ruby by Charles Edmonds Walk