puzzle over
verb
puzzled over; puzzling over; puzzles over
: to think or worry for a long time about (something)
He's been puzzling over what went wrong.
Examples of puzzle over in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But perhaps judged by the standards of a more family-friendly, beginner take on the murder mystery, the story’s fairly obvious outcome is a bit more understandable, providing a gentle mystery that all audiences can lightly puzzle over.
—
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 8 May 2026
But the seismic activity fizzled out and nothing else happened, leaving volcanologists and seismologists to puzzle over the episode.
—Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
The hunt has come up short, leaving physicists puzzling over what to do next.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026
At the time, economists were puzzling over a big question about how to measure cost of living.
—Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for puzzle over
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 8 May 2026
But the seismic activity fizzled out and nothing else happened, leaving volcanologists and seismologists to puzzle over the episode.
—Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
The hunt has come up short, leaving physicists puzzling over what to do next.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026
At the time, economists were puzzling over a big question about how to measure cost of living.
—Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for puzzle over
Cite this Entry
“Puzzle over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puzzle%20over. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
