puzzle over
phrasal verb
puzzled over; puzzling over; puzzles over
: to think or worry for a long time about (something)
He's been puzzling over what went wrong.
Examples of puzzle over in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Changing Construction Today: The Mystery of The Missing Productivity
For decades, economists and policymakers have puzzled over one persistent anomaly: while technology has turbocharged productivity across manufacturing, finance, and logistics, construction has barely moved.
—
Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Though viewers were left to puzzle over the photo's meaning, experts say the behavior is not entirely without explanation.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
Experts are puzzling over which interventions are saving lives.
—Jan Hoffman, New York Times, 15 May 2025
But archaeologists have puzzled over exactly how it was made, particularly given the wide range of hues, from deep blue to gray or green.
—ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for puzzle over
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Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Though viewers were left to puzzle over the photo's meaning, experts say the behavior is not entirely without explanation.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
Experts are puzzling over which interventions are saving lives.
—Jan Hoffman, New York Times, 15 May 2025
But archaeologists have puzzled over exactly how it was made, particularly given the wide range of hues, from deep blue to gray or green.
—ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for puzzle over
Cite this Entry
“Puzzle over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puzzle%20over. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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