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

Here is the question indeed, that would have driven the whole world to a nonplus, if once the majesty and holiness of God had been seen.

From The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning by Hugh Binning

He wanted to nonplus and disconcert her, if such a thing were possible.

From The Dark House by I. A. R. (Ida Alexa Ross) Wylie

Loth to go to Hell and put to a nonplus, David built a nest in a tree in Richmond Park, and he paused therein to consider which way to proceed.

From My Neighbors Stories of the Welsh People by Caradoc Evans

“By Jingo, that’s a bad job,” cried the skipper, but he was not long at a nonplus.

From The Ghost Ship A Mystery of the Sea by Henry Austin

He isn’t nodding his head or pumping his fist or rapping the lyrics like no few of the V.I.P.s present; in fact he seems almost nonplused.

From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 2022

But even sophisticated cocktail consumers were nonplused by his pitch, so he switched to a more accessible product: applejack.

From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2021

Ronstadt even seemed nonplused about the Kennedy Center Honor she will receive in Washington in December.

From New York Times ● Sep. 5, 2019

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

Durant appeared nonplussed by the spat, while admitting that he had deliberately taken a combative approach into the game.

From Barron's ● Dec. 21, 2025

"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

I was further nonplussed by a bizarre incident at a large end-of-summer meet.

From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2024

She narrowed her eyes, giving me one of her nonplussed stares.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

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

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

From The Paternoster Ruby by Charles Edmonds Walk

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

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