1 B2 neutral
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."
separable
puzzle out
B2 neutral separable transitive
To find the answer to something difficult through careful, patient thinking.
In plain English
To think really hard about something confusing until you understand it.
What does "puzzle out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To understand someone's motives, character, or behavior through reflection.
"She couldn't puzzle out why her colleague had suddenly stopped speaking to her."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To work a puzzle all the way out to completion — i.e., to solve it.
Actually means
To think really hard about something confusing until you understand it.
Usage tip
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.
Words that pair with "puzzle out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
answer solution meaning code problem mystery
How to conjugate "puzzle out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
puzzle out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
puzzles out
he/she/it
Past simple
puzzled out
yesterday
Past participle
puzzled out
have + pp
-ing form
puzzling out
continuous
Hear "puzzle out" in the wild
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