p-u-z-z-l-i-n-g
PUZZLING means causing confusion or perplexity; difficult to understand or explain. It describes something that is confusing, mysterious, or hard to solve.
29
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
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:
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.
•The word "puzzle" may have originated from the action of "picking" at a problem
•Jigsaw puzzles were invented in 1767 by John Spilsbury, a London mapmaker
•With two Z's worth 10 points each, PUZZLING is one of the highest-scoring 8-letter words
•Crossword puzzles were invented in 1913 and became a worldwide craze in the 1920s
"The detective found the suspect's behavior puzzling - why return to the crime scene?"
"It's puzzling how the ancient Egyptians moved such massive stones without modern equipment."
"She spent hours puzzling over the cryptic message in the old diary."
Words with similar meaning
Confusing
Causing bewilderment
Perplexing
Completely baffling
Mystifying
Making mysterious
Baffling
Totally confusing
Words with opposite meaning
Clear
Easy to understand
Obvious
Easily perceived
Straightforward
Uncomplicated
Simple
Not complex
Base Form
puzzle
Can you solve this puzzle?
Past Tense
puzzled
She puzzled over the riddle.
Present Participle
puzzling
His behavior is puzzling.
Related Terms
Confusing unsolved case
Contradictory clues
Unexplained vanishing
If you can't play PUZZLING, consider these subwords:
Being puzzled activates our problem-solving instincts and curiosity. Psychologists note that puzzlement is a crucial cognitive state that drives learning and discovery. When something is puzzling, our brains work harder to create coherent explanations, strengthening neural pathways and improving critical thinking skills.
From ancient riddles of the Sphinx to modern escape rooms, humans have always been drawn to puzzling challenges. Puzzles appear in every culture: Chinese tangrams, Japanese sudoku, European crosswords. They serve as entertainment, education, and even spiritual practice, reflecting our universal desire to test our minds against complexity.
Video games, app-based puzzles, and viral internet mysteries have transformed how we experience puzzlement. Games like Wordle became global phenomena, while ARGs (Alternate Reality Games) create puzzling narratives spanning multiple platforms. The digital age hasn't diminished our love of puzzles - it's amplified it with new, interconnected forms of mystery.
Puzzling vs. Puzzled
Puzzling = causing confusion; Puzzled = feeling confused
Puzzling vs. Confusing
Puzzling often implies intrigue; confusing is just unclear
Double Z required
Always spell with two Z's, not one
Other valuable words with double Z in Scrabble
Total base points: 29 (Scrabble)
Vowels: 2 | Consonants: 6
Practice unscrambling letters to find more high-scoring words like PUZZLING