puzzle

1 of 2verb

/ˈpʌ.zəl/

Forms:puzzles,puzzling,puzzled,puzzled

1

to confuse someone, often by presenting something mysterious or difficult to understand

transitive

The riddle puzzles her.
The sudden disappearance of the keys puzzled him.
The unexpected turn of events puzzled the audience.
The cryptic message puzzled the detectives trying to solve the case.
The unusual markings on the artifact puzzled archaeologists.

Synonyms:

stick beat nonplus dumbfound bewilder amaze flummox mystify gravel stupefy vex perplex baffle get pose

2

to feel unsure or confused about what to do or how to respond in a situation

They puzzled over the strange message, unsure of its meaning.
We puzzled over the riddle for a long time, trying to figure out the answer.
He puzzled over the report, unable to understand the data.
She puzzled over her feelings, not sure if she was making the right choice.
She puzzled over the decision for hours, unsure of what to choose.