puzzle out
verb
puzzled out; puzzling out; puzzles out
: to understand or find (something, such as the answer to a difficult problem) by careful thinking
She puzzled out the meaning of the strange phrase.
Examples of puzzle out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Historically this has been the agency that has puzzled out the causes of new diseases.
—
Helen Branswell, STAT, 30 Mar. 2026
Above the galleries, where the new towerlet leans back and tilts its face to the sun, the firm has built a three-dimensional puzzle out of triangular pieces.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Mar. 2026
In this era of CEO-as-celebrities, some analysts don’t puzzle out the story beneath the surface.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2026
Today’s Difficulty Our testers rate each puzzle out of 5 according to its difficulty.
—New York Times Games, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
From interactive games to snuffle mats and treat-dispensing toys, there are plenty of puzzles out there on the market.
—Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Now, researchers in Japan may have finally figured this puzzle out.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025
But managers can’t run the floor if they’re stuck in the backroom puzzling out schedules and shuffling through binders of paperwork.
—Michael Spataro, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
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Helen Branswell, STAT, 30 Mar. 2026
Above the galleries, where the new towerlet leans back and tilts its face to the sun, the firm has built a three-dimensional puzzle out of triangular pieces.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Mar. 2026
In this era of CEO-as-celebrities, some analysts don’t puzzle out the story beneath the surface.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2026
Today’s Difficulty Our testers rate each puzzle out of 5 according to its difficulty.
—New York Times Games, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
From interactive games to snuffle mats and treat-dispensing toys, there are plenty of puzzles out there on the market.
—Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Now, researchers in Japan may have finally figured this puzzle out.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025
But managers can’t run the floor if they’re stuck in the backroom puzzling out schedules and shuffling through binders of paperwork.
—Michael Spataro, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puzzle out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puzzle%20out. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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