puzzler

Everyday

1. A question, problem or mystery that is hard to understand or solve: «That riddle is a real puzzler.» tree →
2. A person who enjoys doing puzzles, like crosswords or sudoku. tree →
3. A puzzler can also be a person who is hard to understand or figure out. tree →

In the lessons

In maths and olympiad lessons a puzzler is a tricky problem that needs clever thinking; in everyday life it is anything that confuses you; in stories a mystery can be «a puzzler» for the detective. Phrases: «a real puzzler», «a bit of a puzzler», «keen puzzler».

Examples

• Here's a puzzler: what has keys but can't open locks? tree →
• Question 10 on the maths test was a real puzzler. tree →
• Why the cat kept hiding the socks was a puzzler. tree →
• Grandma is a keen puzzler who does the crossword every day. tree →
• The missing biscuits were a puzzler until we found crumbs on the dog. tree →
• The teacher gives us a Friday puzzler to solve in pairs. tree →
• He is a puzzler, take him how you will." tree →

Note

Countable: puzzler, puzzlers. Informal and friendly. Related: puzzle (noun and verb), puzzled (confused), puzzling (confusing). The answer to the keys riddle is «a piano».