a question or statement so framed as to exercise one's ingenuity in answering it or discovering its meaning; conundrum.

a puzzling question, problem, or matter.

a puzzling thing or person.

any enigmatic or dark saying or speech.

to propound riddles; speak enigmatically.

noun

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 * , puzzler , ambiguity , brainteaser , crux , koan , paradox , sphinx

verb

bore , corrupt , damage , honeycomb , impair , infest , mar , pepper , pervade , pierce , pit , puncture , spoil , charade , conundrum , crux , dilemma , enigma , maze , mystery , perforate , perplex , problem , rebus , sieve , sift , teaser