From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpuzzlepuz‧zle1 /ˈpʌzəl/ ●●● S3 noun [countable] 1 DHTa game or toy that has a lot of pieces that you have to fit together → jigsaw a child’s wooden puzzle2 DGOa game in which you have to think hard to solve a difficult question or problem a crossword puzzle3 [usually singular]MYSTERIOUS something that is difficult to understand or explainpuzzle of the puzzle of how the sun works The meaning of the poem has always been a puzzle. He thought he had solved the puzzle.4 → piece of the puzzle
Examples from the Corpus
puzzle• Women have always been a puzzle to Brad.• In 1953 the intricate puzzle of DNA's structure was solved in a Cambridge laboratory.• Another casket presents the adventurers with an intriguing puzzle.• In these terms, the original puzzle becomes that of why natural selection does not produce a population consisting entirely of hawks.• Top scientists around the country are pounding away at different parts of the puzzle.• The police have almost solved the case but one important piece of the puzzle is still missing: the murder weapon.• So he created a temporary scaffolding to get one piece of the puzzle going.• How television has changed is one piece of the puzzle.• This was the puzzle that preoccupied scientists concerned with complexity.solved ... puzzle• Professor Ito has solved the puzzle and everyone is cheering.• Asterisks, blanks, initials and general descriptions will not avail, if evidence proves that readers have solved the puzzle correctly.puzzlepuzzle2 ●●○ verb [transitive] CONFUSEDto confuse someone or make them feel slightly anxious because they do not understand something a question that continues to puzzle scientists He was puzzled by the reactions to his remark. What puzzles me is why his books are so popular. → puzzle something ↔ out → puzzle over something→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
puzzle• Astronomers continue to be puzzled by the existence of black holes.• Flora was puzzled by this exchange.• The men are recalled with a deliberate and puzzling emotional inconsistency.• Her unwillingness to answer any of his questions puzzled him.• What puzzles me about the robbery, is how they managed to enter the building unseen.• There are things that still puzzle me about this new computer system.• What puzzles me is why she doesn't just leave him.• What puzzled me was how Mrs Witherspoon fit into the setup.• It was only when the young man moved away in this fashion that George began to puzzle over the incident.• As she walked, her mind was still puzzling over the mystery of Moloch's peculiar ecology.• Carroll was puzzled over the way Protestants who had always feared priests could now demand his services.• Initially, the taxi driver was puzzled when we asked to be driven to Shantinagar. 