a situation that is difficult to understand:
Scientists have been trying to solve this puzzle for years.
The situation remains a puzzle to all of us.
a game or toy in which you have to fit separate pieces together:
The building blocks are like the pieces of a puzzle.
a jigsaw puzzle
a problem or question that you have to answer by using your skill or knowledge:
a crossword puzzle
a puzzle book
to cause someone to feel confused and slightly worried because they cannot understand something:
The findings of the survey puzzle me - they're not at all what I would have expected.
[ + question word ] It puzzles me why she said that.
to try to solve a problem or understand a situation by thinking carefully about it:
Management are still puzzling about how the accident could have happened.
Scientists are puzzling over the results of the research.
something that is difficult to understand:
Their son is a puzzle to them.
The police are trying to solve the puzzle of who sent them the letter.
A puzzle is also a game or toy in which you have to fit separate pieces together, or a problem or question which you have to answer by using your skill or knowledge:
a jigsaw/crossword puzzle