English dictionary



Hint: Question mark (?) is a wildcard. Question mark substitutes one character.

English noun: puzzle

1. puzzle (communication) a particularly baffling problem that is said to have a correct solution


SamplesHe loved to solve chessmate puzzles.
That's a real puzzler.


Synonymsmystifier, puzzler, teaser


Broader (hypernym)problem


Narrower (hyponym)acrostic, sudoku, word square

2. puzzle (artifact) a game that tests your ingenuity


Broader (hypernym)game


Narrower (hyponym)Chinese puzzle, crossword, crossword puzzle, jigsaw puzzle, tangram


English verb: puzzle

1. puzzle (cognition) be a mystery or bewildering to


SamplesThis beats me!.
Got me--I don't know the answer!.
A vexing problem.
This question really stuck me.


ExamplesThe bad news will puzzle him, The good news will puzzle her, The performance is likely to puzzle Sue


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


Pattern of useSomething ----s somebody


Broader (hypernym)bedevil, befuddle, confound, confuse, discombobulate, fox, fuddle, throw


Narrower (hyponym)elude, escape, mix up, riddle, stump

2. puzzle (emotion) be uncertain about; think about without fully understanding or being able to decide


SamplesWe puzzled over her sudden departure.


ExamplesSam and Sue puzzle over the results of the experiment


Pattern of useSomebody ----s PP


Broader (hypernym)chew over, contemplate, excogitate, meditate, mull, mull over, muse, ponder, reflect, ruminate, speculate, think over









Based on WordNet 3.0 copyright © Princeton University.
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