be wholly at a loss

They were wholly at a loss to understand him.

Knowing nothing of the dialect, you would be wholly at a loss.

He was wholly at a loss to know what could be the use or necessity of practising those vices.

Even Mr. Whitney was wholly at a loss to account for the change in the bearing of the secretary.

An outside observer, unable to perceive the accompanying consciousness, might be wholly at a loss to discriminate between the automatic acts and those which volition escorted.

But still a cloud seemed to hang over his companions which that great man could not but be sensible of, and was wholly at a loss to account for.

Ewing declared, "We are wholly at a loss to account for this gross violation of the order and the rules, except that it was an unexplained failure of the human agency."

At last he was rewarded by seeing Mr. Fogg and Passepartout arrive, accompanied by a young woman, whose presence he was wholly at a loss to explain.

They saw what seemed to them a white-haired old wanderer of sixty years or more; but at first they were wholly at a loss to explain Ben's fascinated look of growing interest.

The truth is, that while I am very anxious it should reach its destination, I have particular reasons for not trusting it to any other conveyance; so that without your help, I am wholly at a loss.' '

He was now convinced, that there was no passage to sea, but through the labyrinth formed by these shoals; and, at the same time, he was wholly at a loss what course to steer, when the weather should permit the vessel to sail.

But Oliver's thoughts, like those of most other people, although they were extremely ready and active to point out his difficulties, were wholly at a loss to suggest any feasible mode of surmounting them; so, after a good deal of thinking to no particular purpose, he changed his little bundle over to the other shoulder, and trudged on.