Puzzle
WordNet
noun
(1) A toy that tests your ingenuity
(2) A particularly baffling problem that is said to have a correct solution
"He loved to solve chessmate puzzles"
"That's a real puzzler"
verb
(3) 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"
(4) Be uncertain about; think about without fully understanding or being able to decide
"We puzzled over her sudden departure"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
Origin uncertain. The verb seems to predate the noun, and may be a diminutive form of pose.
Noun
- Anything that is difficult to understand or make sense of.
- Where he went after he left the house is a puzzle.
- A game for one person that is more or less difficult to work out or complete.
- A crossword puzzle.
- A jigsaw puzzle.
- A riddle.
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