baffle the experts

Meaning

To completely confuse, puzzle, or frustrate specialists or professionals in a particular field because a phenomenon cannot be explained or solved.

Examples

• The sudden disappearance of the ancient civilization continues to baffle the experts.

  The sudden disappearance of the ancient civilization continues to baffle the experts.

• Medical anomalies like this case often baffle the experts for years.

  Medical anomalies like this case often baffle the experts for years.

• How the hacker managed to bypass such secure systems has baffled the experts.

  How the hacker managed to bypass such secure systems has baffled the experts.

• The painting's unusual brushwork baffled the experts, who couldn't agree on its origin.

  The painting's unusual brushwork baffled the experts, who couldn't agree on its origin.

• This strange weather pattern in the Sahara has completely baffled the experts.

  This strange weather pattern in the Sahara has completely baffled the experts.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ The puzzle baffled to the experts.

  ✓ The puzzle baffled the experts.

  'Baffle' is a transitive verb and directly takes the object without the preposition 'to'.

• ✗ The experts were baffled with the results.

  ✓ The experts were baffled by the results.

  When using the passive voice, use 'baffled by' rather than 'baffled with' to indicate the cause of the confusion.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The patient's sudden recovery continues to ___.

  💡 Completely puzzle the doctors and specialists.

  Show answer

  baffle the experts

• This ancient manuscript has managed to ___ for centuries.

  💡 Confuse the historical specialists.

  Show answer

  baffle the experts