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
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning
I was able to puzzle out the riddle in a fairly short time
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puzzle
Rory Doherty, Time, 27 June 2025
Born in the 18th century when Leonhard Euler solved the puzzle of the seven bridges of Königsberg, graph theory has become a foundational tool in mathematics.
—Quanta Magazine, 26 June 2025
Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2025
Social media puzzled by location of new Trader Joe's store
In a recent TikTok video filmed in front of the new Trader Joe's location, content creator Evan Lovett points out just how close the two stores are to each other.
—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for puzzle
Noun
Led by Tao Tsuchiya and Kento Yamazaki, Alice in Borderland’s characters survive the puzzles and battles with logic and agility—and like Squid Game, a third season is releasing on Netflix in 2025.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 27 June 2025
Born in the 18th century when Leonhard Euler solved the puzzle of the seven bridges of Königsberg, graph theory has become a foundational tool in mathematics.
—Quanta Magazine, 26 June 2025
Verb
At first glance, the harvest looks like a puzzling mixture of familiar fruits — the color of a mango, the shape of a baby apricot, the texture of a ripe peach.
—Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2025
Social media puzzled by location of new Trader Joe's store
In a recent TikTok video filmed in front of the new Trader Joe's location, content creator Evan Lovett points out just how close the two stores are to each other.
—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for puzzle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puzzle
mystery
Noun
-
So there's going to be a strong reaction in both directions for this mystery houseguest.—
David Wysong,
The Enquirer,
4 July 2025
-
The mysteries that remain Even while prosecutors detailed that night, a key question remains: Why did Kohberger target that house and those victims?—
Jesse Bedayn,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puzzle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzle. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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