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.

A clue to the missing-three-million-barrel mystery lies in China’s petrochemical plants.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

The mystery remains difficult to solve because the full sequence of events that led to life is impossible to observe directly and extremely challenging to recreate.

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

After all that drama and mystery, it was just a routine welcome message.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

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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