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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of puzzle
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025
Investigators also described a collection of art, puzzles and drawing supplies in the dining room, and medical supplies like bandages and tape in several kitchen drawers.
—Susan Montoya Bryan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025
Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
Trading Sims for Wright initially seemed puzzling — but quickly proved prophetic.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puzzle
Noun
The second stage is building a step puzzle and then getting across some ropes with three planks; the top two teams move on.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025
Investigators also described a collection of art, puzzles and drawing supplies in the dining room, and medical supplies like bandages and tape in several kitchen drawers.
—Susan Montoya Bryan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025
Verb
The discovery, dating back 60,000 to 50,000 years, has puzzled archaeologists, who have come up with competing hypotheses to explain the stone tools.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
Trading Sims for Wright initially seemed puzzling — but quickly proved prophetic.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puzzle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puzzle
Noun
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The observatory, which is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, is designed to scrutinize the solar atmosphere and the sun's magnetic field for tiny features that might reveal answers to some of the fundamental solar mysteries.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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Mother and daughter were linked through DNA analysis in 2015, but their identities remained a mystery.—
Christine Pelisek,
People.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puzzle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puzzle. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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