head-scratchers
Things that perplex
Head-scratchers are things that puzzle or confuse—problems, questions, or situations that make you figuratively scratch your head in bewilderment.
The term suggests genuine perplexity rather than impossibility: The ending of that movie was a real head-scratcher.
Often used for riddles, mysteries, or decisions that require careful thought.
Impossible to understand
- bewilderingCausing utter confusion
- perplexingCausing mental confusion
- mystifyingCausing complete confusion
- puzzlingCausing confusion or bewilderment
confusing · befuddling · mind-bending · vexing · disorienting · disconcerting · flummoxing · nonplussing
Puzzle demanding clever thought
- riddlePuzzling question to solve
- crosswordClue-based letter grid
- sudokuLogic grid puzzle
- jigsawPuzzle or curve-cutting tool
cryptogram · rebus · tangram · whodunit · conundrum · enigma · stumper · maze
Beyond comprehension or measurement
- inexplicableCannot be accounted for
- inscrutableImpossible to understand
- impenetrableImpossible to pass through
- crypticObscure in meaning
obscure · opaque · abstruse · arcane · esoteric · enigmatic · ambiguous · indecipherable
baffling
Impossible to understand
- bewilderingCausing utter confusion
- perplexingCausing mental confusion
- mystifyingCausing complete confusion
puzzling · confusing · befuddling · mind-bending · vexing · disorienting · disconcerting · flummoxing · nonplussing · bamboozling
brainteaser
Puzzle demanding clever thought
jigsaw · cryptogram · rebus · tangram · whodunit · conundrum · enigma · stumper · maze · cipher
unfathomable
Beyond comprehension or measurement
- inexplicableCannot be accounted for
- inscrutableImpossible to understand
- impenetrableImpossible to pass through
cryptic · obscure · opaque · abstruse · arcane · esoteric · enigmatic · ambiguous · indecipherable · unintelligible
challenging
Hard to accomplish
complex · intricate · knotty · thorny · formidable · daunting · taxing · tricky · problematic · hard
- puzzlerspuzzle master, brainteasers, brain-teasers, conundrums, enigmas
- puzzlespuzzles, sudoku, jigsaw puzzle, puzzle cube, crossword
- curiositiesoddities, curiosities, rarities, wonders, anomalies
head-scratchersno-brainers
Effortlessly obvious decisions
slam dunks · gimmes · cinches · walkovers · child's play
head-scratchersself-evident truths
Claims accepted without argument
certainties · foregone conclusions · no-brainers · sure things · transparencies
head, scratch, headache, forehead, heading, heads, scratching, scratched, headline