v. 1 baffle, bewilder, confuse, confound, mystify, flummox, perplex, nonplus, stymie, stump I am completely puzzled by what you wrote in your last letter 2 Usually, puzzle over. study, ponder (over), mull over, contemplate, meditate on or upon or over, consider, muse over or on, reflect on or over, think about or over or on If you puzzle over it long enough, the problem may vanish of its own accord 3 puzzle out. solve, decipher, crack (the code), unravel, work out, figure out, think through, sort out, unlock I finally puzzled out the inscription on this old coin It might take a while, but I can puzzle out the solution to this crossword.
n. 4 enigma, problem, question, paradox, poser, mystery, riddle, conundrum, Colloq brain-teaser The puzzle is how the murder was committed when the door was locked from the inside