puzzle out
phrasal 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
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
Today’s Difficulty Our testers rate each puzzle out of 5 according to its difficulty.
—New York Times Games, New York Times, 26 July 2025
Where’s the line between puzzling out his psychology and just gawking at a sicko for nine hours?
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 July 2025
Ideation is the result of cognition, and often requires collaboration — people putting their heads together to puzzle out an answer — which is part of what makes generative music feel so sinister.
—Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 17 June 2025
And this explanation doesn’t even begin to answer the question of how something can be expanding indefinitely – scientists are still trying to puzzle out what powers this expansion.
—Rob Coyne, The Conversation, 10 June 2025
As such, scientists are still puzzling out how early humans may have used them.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
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.
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
Today’s Difficulty Our testers rate each puzzle out of 5 according to its difficulty.
—New York Times Games, New York Times, 26 July 2025
Where’s the line between puzzling out his psychology and just gawking at a sicko for nine hours?
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 July 2025
Ideation is the result of cognition, and often requires collaboration — people putting their heads together to puzzle out an answer — which is part of what makes generative music feel so sinister.
—Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 17 June 2025
And this explanation doesn’t even begin to answer the question of how something can be expanding indefinitely – scientists are still trying to puzzle out what powers this expansion.
—Rob Coyne, The Conversation, 10 June 2025
As such, scientists are still puzzling out how early humans may have used them.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puzzle out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puzzle%20out. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share