puzzle

Everyday

1. A puzzle is a game or problem you solve by thinking, like a jigsaw with many pieces, a crossword or a riddle. tree →
2. A puzzle is something hard to understand: «Where the cat went is a puzzle». tree →
3. To puzzle is to make someone wonder or feel confused. tree →
4. To puzzle over something is to think hard about it. tree →

In the lessons

In maths: things counted: puzzles bought or solved, pieces in a jigsaw puzzle; also a hard question to solve; logic and number puzzles like sudoku. In science: a mystery to solve with tests. In everyday life: jigsaws, crosswords, brain teasers. In stories: «the detective was puzzled by the footprints».

Examples

• A puzzle has 500 pieces. tree →
• Lily has put together 120 pieces of the puzzle. tree →
• Each puzzle costs $8. tree →
• He solves 4 puzzles a day. tree →
• Grandpa does the crossword puzzle every morning. tree →
• Sudoku is a number puzzle. tree →
• The missing cookies were a puzzle. tree →
• The strange noise puzzled us. tree →
• She puzzled over the riddle for an hour. tree →
• He was quite puzzled when he reached the market-place. tree →

Note

Pieces of a puzzle make a total; pieces done and pieces left add up to the whole. Trap: «puzzle» counts whole games, «pieces» counts parts, do not mix them. Spelling: double «z». «Puzzled» means confused; «puzzling» means confusing.