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

“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

But at times some extremely artless animadversions are heard that almost nonplus us.

From Popular scientific lectures by Ernst Mach

Peter was puzzled, and scratched his ear like a man at a nonplus.

From The Daltons, Volume II (of II) Or,Three Roads In Life by Charles James Lever

“Why, the loon’s but a bairn,” said Mr Macdougall, at a nonplus for some objection to my promotion.

From On Board the Esmeralda Martin Leigh's Log - A Sea Story by William Heysham Overend

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

Nicholas Elliott, Philby’s closest friend and a fellow member of the foreign intelligence agency MI6, looks slightly nonplused.

From New York Times ● Mar. 3, 2023

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

It featured Evan, Anthony and Zachary performing a rendition of Hilary Duff’s “What Dreams Are Made Of” before a crowd of nonplussed seniors, while Darshan danced along next to them on a laptop screen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026

Currencies, bonds, and stocks appeared to be nonplussed.

From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026

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

"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

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

The question was awkward, nonplussing Jerky, and, the second time, calling for explanation from his sister; who, however, promptly vouchsafed it.

From No Quarter! by Mayne Reid

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