jigsaw puzzle

American  

[jig-saw puhz-uhl] / ˈdʒɪgˌsɔ ˌpʌz əl /

noun

• jigsaw puzzles
  plural

1. Also called picture puzzle.  a set of irregularly cut pieces of pasteboard, wood, or the like that form a picture or design when fitted together.

2. any complex, confusing situation, condition, or item, as one composed of seemingly diverse or unrelated elements.

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jigsaw puzzle British  

noun

1. a puzzle in which the player has to reassemble a picture that has been mounted on a wooden or cardboard base and cut into a large number of irregularly shaped interlocking pieces

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• jigsaw puzzles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of jigsaw puzzle

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jigsaw puzzle

Retirement is a jigsaw puzzle that looks different for everyone.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

“Putting together a multicamera episode is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle — I just try to make it look as seamless as possible,” says Chris Poulos, the editor of “The Neighborhood.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Anuska Tilden, 67, was working on a jigsaw puzzle one recent morning at the local senior center.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

It's a giant and complicated jigsaw puzzle of 130 separate track panels - not something that can be done when trains are roaring up and down.

From BBC ● Dec. 21, 2025

Lives in books often look like a completed jigsaw puzzle.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge