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brainteaser

American  
[breyn-tee-zer] / ˈbreɪnˌti zər /

noun

  1. a puzzle or problem whose solution requires great ingenuity.


Etymology

Origin of brainteaser

First recorded in 1920–25; brain + tease + -er 1 ( def. )

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.

See Examples For:

The annual brainteaser aims to tickle the neurons of those hoping to work in intelligence, and comes in the form of a Christmas card, sent by the national spy agency's director Anne Keast-Butler.

From BBC Dec. 11, 2024

It is less about creating the perfect brainteaser and more about showcasing a flawed family with outsize personalities.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 20, 2023

It turns out that if you want to solve a brainteaser, it helps to have a brain.

From Scientific American May 25, 2023

A psychological brainteaser, “Etta and Ella” gave Kennedy a vital digital platform for her lyrical, eerily seductive imagination.

From Washington Post Dec. 6, 2021

When he took the part of Henry Carr, the very civil servant at the swirling center of “Travesties,” Tom Stoppard’s 1974 Zurich-set brainteaser, he worried he couldn’t learn it.

From New York Times Apr. 4, 2018

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