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puzzle

puz·zle

puzzle

 
 
pronunciation:
puh zl
parts of speech:
noun, transitive verb, intransitive verb
phrases:
puzzle out
features:
Word Combinations (noun, verb), Word Builder, Grammatical Patterns
part of speech: noun
definition 1: a toy or enjoyable problem that requires thought, and sometimes manipulation of something, for a solution.
He enjoys solving word puzzles.She spent all afternoon doing a jigsaw puzzle.
 
similar words:
acrostic, anagram, Chinese puzzle, conundrum, crossword puzzle, jigsaw puzzle, logogriph, riddle, word square
definition 2: anything that mystifies, confuses, or perplexes.
The crime was still a puzzle to the police.
synonyms:
enigma, mystery, riddle
similar words:
arcanum, conundrum, dilemma, knot, labyrinth, maze, perplexity, predicament, problem, quandary, stickler, tangle
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
 
part of speech: transitive verb
inflections: puzzles, puzzling, puzzled
definition: to mystify or confuse; perplex; baffle.
The book's ending puzzled me; it just didn't seem to make sense.It puzzled the police that the doors and windows were all locked from the inside.[it + verb + smby + that + clause ] It puzzled me when she said she was leaving so soon.[it + verb + smby + when + clause ]
synonyms:
baffle, confound, confuse, mystify, perplex, stump
similar words:
bamboozle, beat, bewilder, bother, buffalo, disconcert, fog, frustrate, nonplus, pose, shock, stagger, stick, vex
 
part of speech: intransitive verb
definition: to think about something that mystifies, confuses, or perplexes.
I puzzled for days about his strange remark.Numerous scholars have puzzled over the meaning of this passage.
similar words:
brood, chew over, cogitate, consider, contemplate, meditate, mull, ponder, study
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
phrase: puzzle out
derivations: puzzledly (adv.), puzzlingly (adv.)
Word Builder: puzzle +
  • puzzled:
    feeling confusion; not knowing the answer.