Origin of puzzle

First recorded in 1585–95; origin uncertain

SYNONYMS FOR puzzle

2 Puzzle, riddle, enigma refer to something baffling or confusing that is to be solved. A puzzle is a question or problem, intricate enough to be perplexing to the mind; it is sometimes a contrivance made purposely perplexing to test one's ingenuity: a crossword puzzle; The reason for their behavior remains a puzzle. A riddle is an intentionally obscure statement or question, the meaning of or answer to which is to be arrived at only by guessing: the famous riddle of the Sphinx. Enigma, originally meaning riddle, now refers to some baffling problem with connotations of mysteriousness: He will always be an enigma to me.
6 confound.

OTHER WORDS FROM puzzle

puz·zled·ly, adverb puz·zled·ness, noun un·puz·zle, verb (used with object), un·puz·zled, un·puz·zling.

British Dictionary definitions for puzzle out

puzzle
/ (ˈpʌzəl) /

verb

to perplex or be perplexed
(intr foll by over) to attempt the solution (of); ponder (about) he puzzled over her absence
(tr usually foll by out) to solve by mental effort he puzzled out the meaning of the inscription

noun

Derived forms of puzzle

puzzling, adjective

Word Origin for puzzle

C16: of unknown origin

Idioms and Phrases with puzzle out

puzzle out

Clarify or solve something, as in It took him a while to puzzle out the significance of the statement. [Late 1700s]