puzzling

American  

[puhz-ling] / ˈpʌz lɪŋ /

adjective

1. confusing or baffling.

   a puzzling answer.

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noun

1. the skill or pastime of constructing or working crossword or other puzzles.

Other Word Forms

• puzzlingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of puzzling

First recorded in 1590–1600; puzzle + -ing ²

Explanation

Something that's puzzling is confusing, or hard to understand. It might seem puzzling to you that your best friend claims to hate doughnuts. People sometimes act in puzzling ways, making decisions that you can't comprehend. You might also come across particularly puzzling questions on a test or quiz — these are the hard ones, taking a long time to figure out and requiring a lot of thought. Puzzling comes from the verb puzzle, whose origin is a bit of a puzzle itself. Some experts guess that it comes from pose, formed the way nuzzle is from nose.

Example Sentences

A competing interpretation has emerged of the preliminary report's most puzzling detail: the brief movement of both fuel-control switches to "cutoff" shortly after take-off.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026

But as more analysts bang the drum, this puzzling quantum play might finally start making sense.

From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026

U.S. authorities deny any part in the puzzling series of events, which involved a pair of 35-ton fishing craft — not the sleek speedboats typically pictured in Department of Defense videos of maritime strikes.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026

And even then, I’d argue that conflict is more puzzling than inspiring.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026

Then she screwed on the cap really slowly, sort of puzzling her forehead, as though what Steph had asked was just incredibly thought-provoking or something.

From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth

Related Words

• ambiguous
• baffling
• bewildering
• difficult
• incomprehensible
• inexplicable
• mystifying
• obscure
• perplexing
• surprising
• unclear
• unfathomable