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

A grand dinner, and fine company; but, talking French, and nothing but French, all the time, Mrs. D. and your humble servant were rather at a nonplus.

From The Dodd Family Abroad, Vol. I by Charles James Lever

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

Even these hide and seek tactics did not long nonplus the "snipers"; their adaptability was equal to the occasion.

From The Siege of Kimberley by T. Phelan

So The Revolution, from the start, will arouse, thrill, edify, amuse, vex and nonplus its friends.

From The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2) Including Public Addresses, Her Own Letters and Many From Her Contemporaries During Fifty Years by Ida Husted Harper

A genial man in person, Mr. Connick appeared nonplused in his later years over a reputation that had been severely tainted.

From New York Times ● Jan. 27, 2024

Nguyen, 43, is delighted by the attention the script has received, even while sounding a little nonplused.

From New York Times ● Jul. 2, 2020

The columnist Herb Caen, nonplused, invented the term “Beatnik” in 1958, which made the Beats sound like something you’d want to flick off, like fleas.

From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 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

Collections by new designer Demna are going down well with American consumers, but shoppers everywhere else are nonplussed so far.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

In a brief phone interview, a worker at Unique Bite Eatery in Indio appeared nonplussed and said there was no damage at the restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 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

Tony was nonplussed at finding his golf clubs in the driveway.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

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

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

From The Paternoster Ruby by Charles Edmonds Walk

It is closely woven in with that of Poindexter, and presents one feature which may occasion you no surprise, but which, I own, came near nonplussing me.

From The Circular Study by Anna Katharine Green

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