English noun: puzzle | |||
1. | puzzle (communication) a particularly baffling problem that is said to have a correct solution | ||
Samples | He loved to solve chessmate puzzles. That's a real puzzler. | ||
Synonyms | mystifier, 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 | ||
Samples | This beats me!. Got me--I don't know the answer!. A vexing problem. This question really stuck me. | ||
Examples | The bad news will puzzle him, The good news will puzzle her, The performance is likely to puzzle Sue | ||
Synonyms | amaze, baffle, beat, bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, get, gravel, mystify, nonplus, perplex, pose, stick, stupefy, vex | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----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 | ||
Samples | We puzzled over her sudden departure. | ||
Examples | Sam and Sue puzzle over the results of the experiment | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s PP | ||
Broader (hypernym) | chew over, contemplate, excogitate, meditate, mull, mull over, muse, ponder, reflect, ruminate, speculate, think over | ||