PUZZLING means causing confusion or perplexity; difficult to understand or explain. It describes something that is confusing, mysterious, or hard to solve.
Yes. PUZZLING is in the Scrabble-style word list used by our tools and scores 29 points in Scrabble, 34 in Words With Friends and 32 in Wordfeud (base tile values, no board multipliers). Always check the dictionary your game uses (NWL, Collins or the WWF list) before playing.
| Letter | P | U | Z | Z | L | I | N | G | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrabble | 3 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 29 |
| Words With Friends | 4 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 34 |
| Wordfeud | 4 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 32 |
PUZZLING describes something that causes confusion, bewilderment, or perplexity. It refers to situations, behaviors, or phenomena that are difficult to understand, explain, or solve. When something is puzzling, it challenges our comprehension and often requires careful thought or investigation to make sense of it. The word can function as both an adjective and a verb form (present participle of "puzzle"). As an adjective, it describes the quality of being confusing or mysterious. As a verb, it refers to the act of causing confusion or working to solve something difficult. Common contexts for puzzling: Mysterious situations: Strange occurrences that defy easy explanation Complex problems: Difficult questions requiring deep thought Contradictory behavior: Actions that don't match expectations Brain teasers: Mental challenges designed to perplex
The word puzzling derives from the verb "puzzle," which has uncertain origins but likely emerged in the late 16th century. The earliest forms may come from the Middle English pusle or poselen, meaning "to bewilder" or "perplex." Some linguists suggest a connection to the Old English puslian, meaning "to pick out" or "pluck," referring to the careful work of solving problems. Another theory links it to the French poser (to pose a question) combined with the English diminutive suffix. The noun "puzzle" appeared around 1595, originally meaning "a state of bewilderment." By the 1650s, it referred to "something devised to test ingenuity." The adjective "puzzling" emerged in the early 17th century, and the present participle form has been used consistently since then to describe things that perplex or confuse.
Anagrams: no other word uses exactly the letters of PUZZLING.
Hooks: no front hooks; no back hooks.
Words inside PUZZLING: 39 shorter words can be made from these letters – highest scoring: ZUZUNZIPZINGZIPZIGZINPULINGGULPLUPINPINGPLUGPUNG. See all words from PUZZLING.