Puzzle Meaning
Puzzle Definition & Usage
A game, toy, or problem designed to test ingenuity or knowledge.
Examples
- "She spent the afternoon piecing together a 1,000-piece puzzle."
- "I love doing crossword puzzles in the morning with my coffee."
- "The children played with a large wooden puzzle, trying to fit the pieces together."
- "He solved the math puzzle in record time."
- "The escape room was a challenging puzzle that required teamwork."
To confuse or perplex someone, often with a complex situation or question.
Examples
- "Her strange behavior puzzled everyone at the party."
- "The detective was puzzled by the strange clues left at the scene."
- "I was puzzled by the complicated instructions on the package."
- "The unexpected turn of events puzzled the entire team."
- "The new software features puzzled the users, who weren’t familiar with the interface."
Cultural Context
Puzzles have been a part of human culture for centuries, with some of the earliest examples dating back to ancient times. In more recent history, jigsaw puzzles became popular in the 18th century, while crossword puzzles exploded in popularity in the early 20th century. Puzzles, both physical and mental, continue to serve as a means of entertainment and intellectual challenge across cultures.
The Puzzle of the Ancient Key
Story
The Puzzle of the Ancient Key
In the quiet town of Eldridge, the old mansion on the hill had long been abandoned. One evening, while exploring the attic, Julia found an antique box covered in dust. As she carefully opened it, inside was a small, intricately carved key and a note that read: 'To unlock the truth, you must first solve the puzzle.' Julia's curiosity got the better of her, and she began to investigate. She soon realized that the key wasn't for a door, but for a hidden compartment in a library shelf. After hours of searching, she found the compartment, but inside was yet another puzzle—a strange code etched into the wood. As she puzzled over the symbols, a thought struck her: the answer was not hidden in the puzzle, but in the story behind it. The key had been passed down through generations, each holder tasked with solving the puzzle before passing it on. Julia smiled, realizing the journey itself had been the real puzzle all along.
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