English Reference
Idiom idiom

puzzle through


To work methodically to solve or understand something complex.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

I need to puzzle through this math problem.

CONTEXTUAL

The instructions were confusing, but I managed to puzzle through them to finish the project.

COMPLEX

The detective spent the entire night trying to puzzle through the conflicting evidence left at the crime scene.


Related idioms4entries
  1. 01

    Chinese puzzle

    A senseless situation.

  2. 02

    piece of the puzzle

    A clue that contributes to the solution of a mystery.

  3. 03

    puzzle out

    To figure out; to discover or find a solution to.

  4. 04

    puzzle over

    To think intensely and deeply about a confusing problem, situation, or question in an effort to understand it or to find a solution.

Last updated August 10, 2026