Puzzle

/ˈpʌz.əl/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A game, toy, or problem that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge.

She enjoys solving crossword puzzles during her free time.

A perplexing problem or situation.

The mystery of the missing files is a real puzzle for the investigators.

verb

To confuse or bewilder someone; to make them unable to think clearly.

The complex riddle puzzled everyone in the room.

To solve or complete a puzzle.

He spent the afternoon puzzling over the jigsaw pieces.

Middle English: from Old French 'espucler', from Latin 'pulsare', meaning 'to thump, beat'.

puzzle over

to think carefully about something, especially to try to understand it.

piece together a puzzle

to gather pieces of information to understand the situation better.

make sense of a puzzle

to understand something that seems complicated.

enigma

A person or thing that is mysterious or difficult to understand.

conundrum

A confusing and difficult problem or question.

riddle

A question or statement intentionally phrased to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning.

To be puzzled or confused.

I'm totally puzzled by this math problem.

To engage in a mental challenge or game.

Let's puzzle this one out together.