riddle 1 of 2

noun

ˈri-dᵊl How to pronounce riddle (audio)
Definition of riddlenext
as in mystery
something hard to understand or explain his motives for starting an argument with the coach were a complete riddle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

riddle

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to drill
to make a hole or series of holes in several signs along the highway were riddled by buckshot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to penetrate
to spread throughout the newspaper exposé revealed a gaming commission that is riddled with corruption

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun riddle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of riddle are enigma, mystery, problem, and puzzle. While all these words mean "something which baffles or perplexes," riddle suggests an enigma or problem involving paradox or apparent contradiction.

the riddle of the reclusive pop star

When might enigma be a better fit than riddle?

While the synonyms enigma and riddle are close in meaning, enigma applies to utterance or behavior that is very difficult to interpret.

his suicide remains an enigma

When is mystery a more appropriate choice than riddle?

The words mystery and riddle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mystery applies to what cannot be fully understood by reason or less strictly to whatever resists or defies explanation.

the mystery of the stone monoliths

When could problem be used to replace riddle?

The synonyms problem and riddle are sometimes interchangeable, but problem applies to a question or difficulty calling for a solution or causing concern.

problems created by high technology

Where would puzzle be a reasonable alternative to riddle?

In some situations, the words puzzle and riddle are roughly equivalent. However, puzzle applies to an enigma or problem that challenges ingenuity for its solution.

the thief's motives were a puzzle for the police

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of riddle
Noun
This riddle describes someone running around a baseball diamond. —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 The quintessentially British film also charts the adventures of a group of friends from different walks of life residing in a grand castle-like building and solving riddles together. —Alex Ritman, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
The season is riddled with loose threads that tease more creepy, kooky adventures to come. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025 Especially considering such variables as pass protection and an either diminished or injury-riddled receiving corps the last two years. —Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for riddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riddle
  1. mystery
  2. drill
  3. penetrate
  4. puzzle
  5. pierce
  6. suffuse
  7. enigma
  8. punch
Noun
  • Some scholars countered that Venusian volcanoes could have produced phosphine; others said that the measurements were dubious, and the mystery gas wasn’t phosphine.
    — David W. Brown, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The music feels like a murder mystery caper, propelled by urgency yet never losing its lightness.
    — Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
Definition of mystery
Verb
  • The rover drilled a sample of it, which researchers called Sapphire Canyon, for an eventual return to Earth.
    — David W. Brown, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Centennial expanded its margin to 10 when senior Justin Driver drilled a 50-yard field goal.
    — Frank Rajkowski, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
Definition of drill
Verb
  • Later on, water may have penetrated through cracks in the rock, depositing minerals to create the calcium sulfate veins and leopard spots.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Fewer GCRs penetrating to earth’s atmosphere would mean fewer clouds to reflect heat and thus more global warming.
    — Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of penetrate
Noun
  • How To Play Wordle Wordle is a daily word puzzle game where your goal is to guess a hidden five-letter word in six tries or fewer.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Looking for a free mini puzzle?
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
Definition of puzzle
Verb
  • Polish officials said Russian drones pierced their airspace 19 times from late Tuesday night to Wednesday morning.
    — Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The morning sun barely pierced the haze over Maitighar Mandala, yet the atmosphere was electric.
    — Sonal Nain, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of pierce
Verb
  • His narration is a constant pleasure — mournful, wry, and suffused with a world-weary poetry.
    — Leila Latif, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Does that ideal suffuse your work?
    — Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
Definition of suffuse
Noun
  • Over time, the fate of the footage has become one of the biggest enigmas in Hollywood history.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
  • More Michael Owens/Getty Images Leonard has always been regarded as an enigma because of his chronic injury problems and his extremely introverted (and some would say odd) personality.
    — Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Definition of enigma
Verb
  • After McNeil refused to get out of his car, Bowers smashed the driver’s side window, punched McNeil in the head and pulled him out of the SUV.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
  • But the biggest red flag comes in the first episode when Laura sees Cherry punch a guy on the street shortly after their first family dinner in London.
    — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of punch

Phrases Containing riddle

Browse Nearby Words

ridding
riddle
riddled
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Riddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riddle. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on riddle

Nglish: Translation of riddle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about riddle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

A Guide to Using Semicolons

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 3

Color Words to Describe Autumn Leaves

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You
See More

Popular

See More

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 3

Color Words to Describe Autumn Leaves
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
high school student holding a pencil leaning over a sat test
Challenging Standardized Test Words 20 questions to help you score 1600
See All