puzzle out
phrasal verb
puzzled out; puzzling out; puzzles out
: to understand or find (something, such as the answer to a difficult problem) by careful thinking
She puzzled out the meaning of the strange phrase.
Examples of puzzle out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Certain kinds of microbiome bacteria are associated with the development of GI cancers, but researchers are still puzzling out whether those changes are a cause or a consequence of the disease.
—
Dylan Scott, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
The five-on-five play more generally is what makes this recent stretch a little hard to puzzle out.
—Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
After Jen’s left the Road with her prize of power, Billy and Agatha are left to puzzle out their own escape hatches.
—Caroline Framke, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
These officers are already puzzling out how to lessen the impacts of extreme heat on the public using the fewest dollars possible.
—Zoya Teirstein, USA TODAY, 6 Aug. 2024
Schmuhl walks us through numerous accounts of the bathtub story, earnestly puzzling out what seems most plausible.
—Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 July 2024
On yet another extremely normal day in Washington in 2024, a Gen Xer, a boomer and a millennial spent several minutes on live television on Monday trying to puzzle out the meaning of a meme.
—Jesús Rodríguez, Washington Post, 23 July 2024
That was how Jack Haldane became the heir in a line of respiratory researchers trying to puzzle out the mysteries of the human body under pressure.
—Rachel Lance, WIRED, 16 Apr. 2024
Beyond that, Sinema’s personal and political situation also makes her decision harder to puzzle out.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2024
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Dylan Scott, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
The five-on-five play more generally is what makes this recent stretch a little hard to puzzle out.
—Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
After Jen’s left the Road with her prize of power, Billy and Agatha are left to puzzle out their own escape hatches.
—Caroline Framke, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
These officers are already puzzling out how to lessen the impacts of extreme heat on the public using the fewest dollars possible.
—Zoya Teirstein, USA TODAY, 6 Aug. 2024
Schmuhl walks us through numerous accounts of the bathtub story, earnestly puzzling out what seems most plausible.
—Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 July 2024
On yet another extremely normal day in Washington in 2024, a Gen Xer, a boomer and a millennial spent several minutes on live television on Monday trying to puzzle out the meaning of a meme.
—Jesús Rodríguez, Washington Post, 23 July 2024
That was how Jack Haldane became the heir in a line of respiratory researchers trying to puzzle out the mysteries of the human body under pressure.
—Rachel Lance, WIRED, 16 Apr. 2024
Beyond that, Sinema’s personal and political situation also makes her decision harder to puzzle out.
—Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near puzzle out
Cite this Entry
“Puzzle out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puzzle%20out. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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