puzzle out
To think really hard about something confusing until you understand it.
Meanings
To find the solution to a confusing problem or question by thinking carefully and methodically.
"It took me an hour to puzzle out what the strange symbols on the map meant."
To understand someone's motives, character, or behavior through reflection.
"She couldn't puzzle out why her colleague had suddenly stopped speaking to her."
Used when a problem or mystery requires sustained mental effort to solve. Suggests slow, deliberate reasoning rather than sudden insight. Can be used with a direct object ('puzzle it out') or followed by a clause ('puzzle out how/why/what'). Common in both British and American English.
Commonly used with
Forms
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