| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | puzzle |
| Synonyms: | brain-teaser, closed book, enigma, mystery, mystification, poser, problem, puzzlement, riddle, why* |
| Main Entry: | enigma |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | mystery |
| Synonyms: | Gordian knot, bewilderment, cliffhanger, conundrum, crux, cryptogram, grabber, knot*, mind-boggler, mind-twister, mystification, parable, perplexity, problem, puzzle, puzzlement, puzzler, question, question mark, riddle, secret, sixty-four dollar question, sphinx, sticker, stickler, stumper, teaser, tough nut to crack, twister, why* |
| Main Entry: | mystery |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | puzzle, secret |
| Synonyms: | abstruseness, brainteaser, braintwister, charade, chiller, cliffhanger, closed book, conundrum, crux, cryptogram, difficulty, enigma, grabber, inscrutability, inscrutableness, mindboggler, mystification, occult, oracle, perplexity, poser, problem, puzzlement, question, rebus, riddle, rune, secrecy, sixty-four-thousand-dollar question, sphinx, stickler, stumper, subtlety, teaser, thriller, tough nut to crack, twister, whodunit, why* |
| Antonyms: | known, understanding |
| Main Entry: | problem |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | puzzle, question |
| Synonyms: | brainteaser, bugaboo, cliff-hanger, conundrum, enigma, example, grabber, illustration, intricacy, mind-boggler, mystery, poser, puzzler, query, riddle, sixty-four thousand dollar question, stickler, stumper, teaser, twister |
| Antonyms: | solution |
| Main Entry: | riddle |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | brain-teaser |
| Synonyms: | bewilderment, brain-twister, charade, closed book, complexity, complication, confusion, conundrum, cryptogram, dilemma, distraction, doubt, embarrassment, enigma, entanglement, intricacy, knotty question, labyrinth, maze, mind-boggler, mystery, mystification, perplexity, plight, poser, predicament, problem, puzzle, puzzlement, quandary, question, rebus, sixty-four dollar question, stickler, strait, stumper, teaser, tough nut to crack, tough proposition, twister |
| Main Entry: | trick |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | deceit |
| Synonyms: | ambush, artifice, blind, bluff, casuistry, cheat, chicanery, circumvention, con*, concealment, conspiracy, conundrum, cover, deception, decoy, delusion, device, disguise, distortion, dodge*, double-dealing, duplicity, equivocation, evasion, fabrication, fake, falsehood, feint, forgery, fraud, game, gimmick, hoax, illusion, imposition, imposture, intrigue, invention, machination, maneuver, perjury, plot, ploy, pretense, ruse, snare, stratagem, subterfuge, swindle, trap, treachery, wile |
| Antonyms: | frankness, honesty |
| Main Entry: | poser |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | mystery |
| Synonyms: | conundrum, enigma, perplexity, problem, puzzle, question, riddle |
| Notes: | a poser is someone who sets test or exam questions or a difficult or perplexing question or problem; a poseur is a person who adopts an affected style or demeanor |
| Main Entry: | no-win situation |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | a situation destined for failure |
| Synonyms: | Catch-22, conundrum, dilemma, double bind, knot, lose-lose, quandary |
| Main Entry: | perplexity |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | mystery |
| Synonyms: | abstruseness, brainteaser, braintwister, charade, chiller, cliffhanger, closed book, conundrum, crux, cryptogram, difficulty, enigma, grabber, inscrutability, inscrutableness, mindboggler, mystification, occult, oracle, poser, problem, puzzle, puzzlement, puzzler, question, rebus, riddle, rune, secrecy, sixty-four-thousand-dollar question, sphinx, stickler, stumper, subtlety, teaser, thriller, tough nut to crack, twister, whodunit, why* |