conundrum

American  

[kuh-nuhn-druhm] / kəˈnʌn drəm /

noun

1. a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on words, as What is black and white and read all over? A newspaper.

2. anything that puzzles.

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conundrum British  

/ kəˈnʌndrəm /

noun

1. a riddle, esp one whose answer makes a play on words

2. a puzzling question or problem

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Etymology

Origin of conundrum

First recorded in 1590–1600; pseudo-Latin word of obscure origin

Explanation

The tricky word conundrum is used to describe a riddle or puzzle, sometimes including a play on words or pun. One of the most famous conundrums is the riddle of the Sphinx, famously in the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles. Oedipus encounters the Sphinx, a mythical beast, who asks him, "What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?" The answer is "A person": crawling as a child, walking as an adult, and using a cane in old age. The scary thing is that if the Sphinx asked you the riddle and you didn't know, she'd eat you!

Example Sentences

Perhaps the biggest conundrum the head coach has been left with after this camp is up front.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

"Until recently, while stellar rotation was thought to be part of solving this conundrum, limited computing abilities prevented us from quantitatively testing the hypothesis," says Falk Herwig, principal investigator and director of ARC.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

That presents the Fed with a classic conundrum, especially given its dual mandate of maintaining maximum employment and low inflation.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

However, there is a moral conundrum hovering over your letter: “What do I owe him?”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026

But the real conundrum that heredity solves is much more general: What is the nature of instruction that allows an organism to build a nose—any nose—in the first place?

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• enigma
• mystery
• riddle