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

“It was like a jigsaw puzzle of all the pieces from different puzzles,” Jacob said, “with a few missing.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

All the while, Stewart treats the collected imagery of her protagonist’s bruised life like scattered jigsaw puzzle pieces with razor-sharp edges.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 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

She’s in her work uniform, hanging over her jigsaw puzzle.

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt