PUZZLE

puzzle

(noun) a game that tests your ingenuity

puzzle, puzzler, mystifier, teaser

(noun) a particularly baffling problem that is said to have a correct solution; “he loved to solve chessmate puzzles”; “that’s a real puzzler”

perplex, vex, stick, get, puzzle, mystify, baffle, beat, pose, bewilder, flummox, stupefy, nonplus, gravel, amaze, dumbfound

(verb) be a mystery or bewildering to; “This beats me!”; “Got me--I don’t know the answer!”; “a vexing problem”; “This question really stuck me”

puzzle

(verb) be uncertain about; think about without fully understanding or being able to decide; “We puzzled over her sudden departure”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

puzzle (plural puzzles)

Anything that is difficult to understand or make sense of.

A game for one or more people that is more or less difficult to work out or complete.

A crossword puzzle.

A jigsaw puzzle.

A riddle.

(archaic) Something made with marvellous skill; something of ingenious construction.

The state of being puzzled; perplexity.

Synonyms

• (anything difficult to understand or make sense of): anybody's guess, anyone's guess, conundrum, enigma, mystery

• (game for one person): brain-teaser, poser

• (crossword puzzle): crossword, crossword puzzle

• (jigsaw puzzle): jigsaw, jigsaw puzzle

• (riddle): guessing game, riddle

Verb

puzzle (third-person singular simple present puzzles, present participle puzzling, simple past and past participle puzzled)

(transitive) To perplex (someone).

(intransitive) To think long and carefully, in bewilderment.

(transitive) To make intricate; to entangle.

Synonyms

• See also confuse

Anagrams

• puzzel

Source: Wiktionary

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Puz"zle, n. Etym: [For opposal, in the sense of problem. See Oppose, Pose, v.]

1. Something which perplexes or embarrasses; especially, a toy or a problem contrived for testing ingenuity; also, something exhibiting marvelous skill in making.

2. The state of being puzzled; perplexity; as, to be in a puzzle.

Puz"zle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Puzzled; p. pr. & vb. n. Puzzling.]

1. To perplex; to confuse; to embarrass; to put to a stand; to nonplus. A very shrewd disputant in those points is dexterous in puzzling others. Dr. H. More. He is perpetually puzzled and perplexed amidst his own blunders. Addison.

2. To make intricate; to entangle. They disentangle from the puzzled skein. Cowper. The ways of Heaven are dark and intricate, Puzzled in mazes, and perplexed with error. Addison.

3. To solve by ingenuity, as a puzzle; -- followed by out; as, to puzzle out a mystery.

Syn.

– To embarrass; perplex; confuse; bewilder; confound. See Embarrass.

Puz"zle, v. i.

1. To be bewildered, or perplexed. A puzzling fool, that heeds nothing. L'Estrange.

2. To work, as at a puzzle; as, to puzzle over a problem.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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