puzzle
- Top 5000
Sense 1
- noun
- B1
A game or question that you have to think hard about before you find the answer.
He does a crossword puzzle every morning while his coffee cools.
This puzzle looks easy, but nobody in the class solved it.
The teacher set us a number puzzle instead of homework.
Common collocations: solve a puzzle · a tricky puzzle · a crossword puzzle · work out a puzzle
Part of: Games and hobbies, School and teaching, Numbers and quantity
Sense 2
- noun
- B1
A game in which you fit many small shaped pieces together to make a picture.
We spread the puzzle out and started with the edge pieces.
One piece of the puzzle had disappeared under the sofa.
A thousand-piece puzzle keeps my grandparents busy through the winter.
Common collocations: do a puzzle · a jigsaw puzzle · a piece of the puzzle · finish a puzzle
Part of: Games and hobbies, Shapes and sizes
Sense 3 · less common
- verb
- B2
To make someone feel confused because they cannot understand or explain something.
Her sudden decision to leave puzzled everyone at the office.
It puzzles me that nobody has answered my message yet.
The doctors were puzzled by his symptoms for several weeks.
Common collocations: be puzzled by something · it puzzles me that · puzzle over something
Part of: Attitudes and opinions, Negative emotions, Talking to people