puzzle
Americannoun
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puzzles
plural
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a toy, problem, or other contrivance designed to amuse by presenting difficulties to be solved by ingenuity or patient effort.
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something puzzling; a puzzling question, matter, or person.
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a puzzled or perplexed condition; bewilderment.
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Did you do the puzzle in the newspaper today?
verb (used with object)
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puzzles,
present (3rd person singular)
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puzzled,
past participle, past
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puzzling
present participle
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to put (someone) at a loss; mystify; confuse; baffle.
Her attitude puzzles me.
- Synonyms:
- confound
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to frustrate or confound, as the understanding; perplex.
The problem puzzled him for weeks.
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to exercise (oneself, one's brain, etc.) over some problem or matter.
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Archaic. to make intricate or complicated.
verb (used without object)
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puzzles,
present (3rd person singular)
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puzzled,
past participle, past
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puzzling
present participle
-
to be perplexed or confused.
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to ponder or study over some perplexing problem or matter.
verb phrase
verb
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to perplex or be perplexed
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to attempt the solution (of); ponder (about)
he puzzled over her absence
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to solve by mental effort
he puzzled out the meaning of the inscription
noun
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a person or thing that puzzles
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a problem that cannot be easily or readily solved
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the state or condition of being puzzled
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a toy, game, or question presenting a problem that requires skill or ingenuity for its solution See jigsaw puzzle Chinese puzzle
Synonym Usage
Puzzle, riddle, enigma refer to something baffling or confusing that is to be solved. A puzzle is a question or problem, intricate enough to be perplexing to the mind; it is sometimes a contrivance made purposely perplexing to test one's ingenuity: a crossword puzzle; The reason for their behavior remains a puzzle. A riddle is an intentionally obscure statement or question, the meaning of or answer to which is to be arrived at only by guessing: the famous riddle of the Sphinx. Enigma, originally meaning riddle, now refers to some baffling problem with connotations of mysteriousness: He will always be an enigma to me.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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puzzlesimple
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puzzlessimple
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have puzzledperfect
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has puzzledperfect
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am puzzlingprogressive
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are puzzlingprogressive
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is puzzlingprogressive
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have been puzzlingperfect progressive
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has been puzzlingperfect progressive
Past
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puzzledsimple
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had puzzledperfect
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was puzzlingprogressive
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were puzzlingprogressive
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had been puzzlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of puzzle
First recorded in 1585–95; origin uncertain
Explanation
To puzzle over something is to try to understand or solve it. Picture someone struggling with a jigsaw puzzle, trying to figure out how all those tiny pieces fit together to form an image. That person is puzzling over a puzzle! When something puzzles you, it confuses and mystifies you. New technology might continually puzzle your grandfather, while your grandmother is quick to figure it out. When you puzzle over a difficult book or the instructions to your new TV, it's like you're trying to piece together a tricky puzzle — a challenging game or problem. The classic puzzle is a jigsaw puzzle, a picture that's split into small, oddly-shaped pieces you need to reassemble into a whole. There are also logic puzzles, crossword puzzles, and mechanical puzzles like a Rubik's Cube. If you can't figure a person out, you can also call them a puzzle.
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:
But Braun was running a different type of program, with a very particular puzzle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Wall Street isn’t alone in wrestling with a puzzle.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
"This is one piece of a very large puzzle," Salta concludes.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026
Solve these clues and more in today’s puzzle.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026
It’s like I’ve been given a puzzle that’s missing a bunch of pieces.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Hawkins-Field said her mum likes the "little things in life", but "loves doing jigsaw puzzles, big, really, really difficult, intricate jigsaw puzzles" and reading.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
Kyra said her mum likes the "little things in life" and "loves doing jigsaw puzzles"
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
The “American Idol” alum took to social media on Saturday to call out Art of Play, a high-end “curiosity shop” that sells puzzles, games and other whimsical goods, for her negative experience during a visit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
Why Neornithes endured while other birds and dinosaurs vanished remains one of paleontology's enduring puzzles.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
On most days, my brother and I stayed in the house, pretending we were other people by dressing up or playing with paper dolls, puzzles, and blocks.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
And then there was the rest of the internet which was simply puzzled.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Viewers who have just spent four hours being told that Mr. Musk is a freak, fraud and failure will be puzzled at the suggestion that he is nevertheless all-powerful.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Not long ago, ordering a nonalcoholic beer at Oktoberfest could draw puzzled looks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
Mars' innermost moon, Phobos, has puzzled planetary scientists for decades.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
I will admit that I was completely puzzled.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
One problem scientists and Wall Street are puzzling over is that a different study showed using Keytruda alone before surgery appeared to produce a similar result to the vaccine in certain melanoma patients.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
The puzzling thing about Saturday’s meltdown wasn’t simply that the No. 1 team in the nation lost to a .500 team that had dropped out of the Top 25 rankings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
Speaking of parks, it’s inconsistent and puzzling that the museum’s beautiful park, which edges right up to the building, can be entered without having to also pass through security.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The discovery is puzzling because, based on known mechanisms, this small stellar remnant should not be capable of producing the structure seen around it.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026
The most puzzling member, perhaps, and the least anticipated.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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