puzzle

/ˈpʌzəl/
verb
  1. To cause someone to feel confused or unable to understand something.
    • Her sudden change in mood puzzled her friends.
    • The complex instructions puzzled the new students.
    • The strange noise from the engine puzzled the mechanic.
  2. To think hard about something in order to understand or solve it.
    • The detective puzzled about the clues late into the night.
    • They puzzled together the pieces of the broken vase.
    • She puzzled over the math problem for an hour before finding the answer.
noun
  1. A game or toy that tests your ability to think, solve problems, or find hidden things, often involving pieces that fit together or a question to answer.
    • She spent the afternoon working on a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle of a mountain landscape.
    • He bought a wooden puzzle that requires you to separate interlocking rings.
    • The crossword puzzle in the newspaper is my favorite way to start the day.
  2. Something that is difficult to understand or explain; a mystery.
    • The scientist described the strange signal as a puzzle that might take years to solve.
    • Why the cat suddenly stopped eating is a puzzle to the whole family.
    • The disappearance of the ancient city remains a puzzle for historians.
Antonyms