Definitions

mystery

[mis-tuh-ree, -tree] / ˈmɪs tə ri, -tri /

NOUN

puzzle, secret

Synonyms

STRONGEST

conundrum enigma problem question riddle secrecy subtlety thriller

STRONG

abstruseness charade chiller cliffhanger crux cryptogram difficulty grabber inscrutability mystification occult oracle perplexity poser puzzlement rebus rune sphinx stickler stumper teaser twister whodunit why

WEAK

brainteaser braintwister closed book inscrutableness mindboggler sixty-four thousand dollar question tough nut to crack

Antonyms

WEAK

known understanding

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In his earlier alien films, extraterrestrials represented mystery and escape.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

The mystery can’t be fully explained by drawdowns in China’s reserves of oil.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

The findings, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, offer a possible solution to a long-standing paleontological mystery.

From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026

Warsh’s confirmation testimony cut through the fog: inflation is not an act of God, a shipping-container mystery, or a Gulf headline.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026

Here too, isotope analysis of his teeth solved the mystery, determining conclusively that his roots were not in England but in Italy.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Vocabulary lists containing mystery

September Words

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Literary Genres - Introductory

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Reading: Literature - Literary Genres - Introductory

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