maze

American  

[meyz] / meɪz /

noun

1. a confusing network of intercommunicating paths or passages; labyrinth.

2. any complex system or arrangement that causes bewilderment, confusion, or perplexity.

   Her petition was lost in a maze of bureaucratic red tape.

3. a state of bewilderment or confusion.

4. a winding movement, as in dancing.

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verb (used with object)

mazed, mazing

1. Chiefly Dialect. to daze, perplex, or stupefy.

maze British  

/ meɪz /

noun

1. a complex network of paths or passages, esp one with high hedges in a garden, designed to puzzle those walking through it Compare labyrinth

2. a similar system represented diagrammatically as a pattern of lines

3. any confusing network of streets, pathways, etc

   a maze of paths

4. a state of confusion

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verb

1. an archaic or dialect word for amaze

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• mazedly
  adverb
• mazedness
  noun
• mazelike
  adjective
• intermaze
  verb (used with object)
• mazement
  noun

Etymology

Origin of maze

1250–1300; Middle English mase, noun use of aphetic variant of amasen to amaze

Explanation

A maze is a puzzle with twists and turns, where you try to find a path from the entrance to the exit without hitting dead ends. You can walk through a maze, or let your pencil do the walking. The goal of a maze is to get through it, which means going the wrong way, retracing your steps, and choosing different paths. There are mazes that you walk through, and mazes on paper where you draw a line to the end. You can also use maze for any complicated system, like the maze of hallways and staircases in an enormous new school. Originally, maze meant "delusion or bewilderment," which captures what it's like to be inside one.

Example Sentences

Soul and funk band Maze, which was fronted by the late Frankie Beverly, shared some love for Bryson on social media.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

“You could see more people realizing, Hey, this kind of stuff is fun,” Maze said.

From Slate • Aug. 11, 2025

It will be directed by Wes Ball, best known for The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and The Maze Runner.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2025

After growing up as a child actor, he had graduated to notable films like “The Maze Runner” and “The Revenant.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2025

He peered down the corridor that led deeper into the Maze, as if expecting the creatures to arrive then, summoned by the sound of their name.

From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner