noun / verb
puzzle
PUZ-uhl/ˈpʌzl/
A problem designed to require thought for its solution.
The unfinished jigsaw puzzle has loose pieces beside matching gaps.
Etymology
The noun first meant a state of bewilderment, then a question or object that causes it. The verb may be a frequentative of pose, formerly meaning “perplex.”
In context
where you have to take the banana and shove it through the door and that's how you solve the puzzle to kill the Nazis
More examples
- This wooden puzzle comes apart if you twist the pieces.
- The instructions puzzle me because two steps seem to contradict each other.
- We puzzle over the clues until the answer becomes clear.
Forms
puzzle · puzzles · puzzled · puzzling
puzzlement noun — A feeling of confusion or uncertainty.
Similar words
- riddle
- Usually a question with a clever or unexpected answer.
- brainteaser
- Emphasizes a short problem that tests reasoning or ingenuity.