as in mystery
something hard to understand or explain
the final fate of the colonists at Roanoke remains a puzzle to this very day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to baffle
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
it is the cause of the disease that puzzles doctors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puzzle
Big Think, 17 Oct. 2025
Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Courtney Howard, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
To puzzle that out, Douglass looked for clues of social identity and affiliation among ancient artifacts.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puzzle
Noun
These two puzzles are both relevant to the fundamental properties and constituents of the Universe, but as far as the resolution goes, that will have to await our scientific future.
—Big Think, 17 Oct. 2025
Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
The mystery is less about who’s involved in the game afoot, as alert audiences piecing together context clues will be immediately aware of those nefarious parties upon their introductions, and is more about the puzzling lengths the filmmakers go to in planting contrived red herrings.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
To puzzle that out, Douglass looked for clues of social identity and affiliation among ancient artifacts.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puzzle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puzzle
Noun
-
In the forties, exactly how the body dealt with starvation remained a mystery.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
-
At this time, Mone's mystery opponent has not been listed internally.—
Fernando Quiles Jr,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But the immediacy around these conversations about the Titans are baffling to me.—
Nick Suss,
Nashville Tennessean,
13 Oct. 2025
-
And suddenly, Glenn and the Jets headed to halftime without running a play in the nearly 40 seconds at their disposal, a move that baffled both their loyalists in New Jersey and the Broncos’ sideline across the pond.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Illston appeared frustrated and perplexed by the government's unwillingness to engage on the merits during the hearing.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The 18 runs plundered off one over was the most Jasprit Bumrah had ever conceded in Tests, leaving the bowler perplexed as he was replaced.—
Sam Dalling,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But too often, this instinct to chase conflict distorts reality and confuses the public.—
Nancy Gibbs,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
-
This view confuses structure with behavior.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The sense of arbitrariness that had previously bewildered and frustrated me was drowned out by excitement and sheer aesthetic pleasure.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Cody Meissner, a pediatric professor at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine who has served on ACIP in the past—arguably the most qualified of Kennedy's new lineup—was bewildered at why the committee was rehashing the issue addressed years ago.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puzzle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzle. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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