brainteaser

noun

brain·​teas·​er ˈbrān-ˌtē-zər How to pronounce brainteaser (audio)
: something (such as a puzzle) that demands mental effort and acuity for its solution

Examples of brainteaser in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The popular game show has been on air for 39 seasons with guild writers penning the tricky brainteasers. Kaitlyn Huamani, Peoplemag, 26 July 2023 Ace Sheds' brainteaser has taken some people over 5 minutes to solve. Christy Piña, Woman's Day, 28 Oct. 2020 Despite its struggles, the AI chatbot made one key logical breakthrough during the brainteasers. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 25 May 2023 At least the old brainteaser, the one where one guard always lies and the other always tells the truth, is a solvable problem. Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2023 Their latest brainteaser is called the Phantom, which takes the 3×3 original cube and adds a memory test: Using thermochromic technology, the multi-color tiles revert to black unless the heat of the user’s hand keeps them visible. Mark Kennedy, Fortune, 1 Dec. 2022 In this fun, colorful brainteaser, one of the Nutcrackers is missing his mustache. Christy Piña, Woman's Day, 18 Dec. 2020 And as tricky as this puzzle is, plenty of brainteaser fans are loving the challenge. Christy Piña, Woman's Day, 8 Dec. 2020 This trippy jigsaw puzzle comes from the mind of master brainteaser Chris Yates, but the true credit goes to an algorithm. Gear Team, Wired, 22 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brainteaser.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brainteaser was in 1850

Dictionary Entries Near brainteaser

Cite this Entry

“Brainteaser.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brainteaser. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

brainteaser

noun
brain·​teas·​er -ˌtē-zər How to pronounce brainteaser (audio)
: something demanding mental effort for its solution : puzzle

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