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

It seems, however, that, in common with myself, your numerous correspondents are quite at a nonplus.

From Notes and Queries, Number 179, April 2, 1853. A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc by George Bell

The adjurer appeared, for one moment, fairly at a nonplus.

From Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 2 by John Roby

Phonny was put quite to a nonplus by this unexpected answer.

From Mary Erskine by Jacob Abbott

In short, it might nonplus a Person of the nicest Taste, to distinguish or determine, whether the Neatness of their Cells within, or the beauteous Varieties without, most exhaust his Admiration.

From Military Memoirs of Capt. George Carleton by Daniel Defoe

When was the last time you looked at the exquisite list of synonyms for the word “baffled”? They may be among the best in the English language: puzzled, nonplused, discombobulated, flummoxed, stumped, fogged, wildered, buffaloed.

From New York Times ● Feb. 29, 2024

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

From New York Times ● Mar. 29, 2023

Some fans of Peele’s earlier films, “Get Out” and “Us,” may have been nonplused by this curious mash-up of western and science-fiction tropes.

From New York Times ● Dec. 6, 2022

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

The unflappable Lincoln might have been a little nonplussed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 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

Ford, who died of natural causes at age 93 in 2006, was said to be nonplussed by Moore’s attempt on his life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2025

But Rotem Naftalovich, of Rutgers University in New Jersey, one of the three researchers involved, said the US food regulator was nonplussed by the admittedly "wonky" idea.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2025

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

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

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

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