puzzle over

puzzle over someone or something

to consider or ponder. I can't puzzle out the mean—someone or something. Anne is a bit strange. I've spent some time puzzling over her. While I was puzzling over why she had slapped me, she did it again.

puzzle over something

to give a lot of attention and thought to something I puzzled over those words, trying to understand their hidden message.

Related vocabulary: tease out something

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Zhanna	ZHAH-nah	Russian
Archer	-	English
Ulrica	-	Swedish
Nehemiah	nee-hə-MIE-ə (English)	Biblical
Woodward	['wudwəd]
Timoti	-	Maori