puzzles out
Works it through
To puzzle out is to solve something through careful thought and effort, working through confusion or complexity to reach understanding: She puzzled out the meaning of the ancient inscription.
The phrase suggests gradual progress rather than sudden insight—piecing together clues, trying different approaches, wrestling with difficulty until clarity emerges.
- trial-and-errorSolving by successive approximation
- works throughAddresses methodically until done
- comprehensionMental understanding of meaning
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
- unravelsSeparates twisted strands
thinks it over · inference · pieces together · connects the dots · brainstorming · dissection · categorization · deciphers · simplification · extrapolation · reverse engineering · logic · breaks it down · cracks · lateral thinking · mental gymnastics · comparison · hypothesis testing
puzzles outobscures
Makes difficult to perceive
confuses · muddles · obfuscates · mystifies · befuddles
puzzles outabandons
Ceases to support
walks away from · throws in the towel · ignores · quits · dismisses