puzzle
Americannoun
-
a toy, problem, or other contrivance designed to amuse by presenting difficulties to be solved by ingenuity or patient effort.
-
something puzzling; a puzzling question, matter, or person.
-
a puzzled or perplexed condition; bewilderment.
-
Did you do the puzzle in the newspaper today?
verb (used with object)
-
to put (someone) at a loss; mystify; confuse; baffle.
Her attitude puzzles me.
- Synonyms:
- confound
-
to frustrate or confound, as the understanding; perplex.
The problem puzzled him for weeks.
-
to exercise (oneself, one's brain, etc.) over some problem or matter.
-
Archaic. to make intricate or complicated.
verb (used without object)
-
to be perplexed or confused.
-
to ponder or study over some perplexing problem or matter.
verb phrase
verb
-
to perplex or be perplexed
-
to attempt the solution (of); ponder (about)
he puzzled over her absence
-
to solve by mental effort
he puzzled out the meaning of the inscription
noun
-
a person or thing that puzzles
-
a problem that cannot be easily or readily solved
-
the state or condition of being puzzled
-
a toy, game, or question presenting a problem that requires skill or ingenuity for its solution See jigsaw puzzle Chinese puzzle
Related Words
Puzzle, riddle, enigma refer to something baffling or confusing that is to be solved. A puzzle is a question or problem, intricate enough to be perplexing to the mind; it is sometimes a contrivance made purposely perplexing to test one's ingenuity: a crossword puzzle; The reason for their behavior remains a puzzle. A riddle is an intentionally obscure statement or question, the meaning of or answer to which is to be arrived at only by guessing: the famous riddle of the Sphinx. Enigma, originally meaning riddle, now refers to some baffling problem with connotations of mysteriousness: He will always be an enigma to me.
Other Word Forms
- puzzledly adverb
- puzzledness noun
- puzzling adjective
- unpuzzle verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of puzzle
First recorded in 1585–95; origin uncertain
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.
"Within the symbiosis project, we've been steadily sequencing genomes for several years, but several key gaps remained. In this study, we were able to fill these missing puzzle pieces," confirms Sanchez.
From Science Daily
But scientists have long puzzled over why poor sleep, especially the early deep stage known as non-REM sleep, leads to lower levels of this critical hormone.
From Science Daily
She looks at me like she’s trying to solve a puzzle.
From Literature
“It means crossword puzzles,” I say, my voice quiet, when Nate doesn’t answer.
From Literature
Some were short, chaotic flashes: puzzle pieces that formed an answer about which realm the soul belonged in.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
