riddle

A question or short description with a clever answer that you must work out.

• Can you answer this riddle?
• The children told riddles on the bus.
• He gave us a tricky riddle to solve.

Similar words: puzzle, brain teaser

Common phrases: tell a riddle, answer a riddle, a tricky riddle

Something confusing or difficult to understand or explain.

• His disappearance remains a riddle.
• Scientists are trying to solve the riddle of this disease.
• Her strange behavior was a riddle to us.

How to use it: riddle of something (They investigated the riddle of the missing ship.)

Similar words: mystery, puzzle

Common phrases: solve a riddle, riddle of something, remain a riddle

To fill something with harmful things or problems, usually used as “be riddled with”.

• The report is riddled with errors.
• Corruption riddled the whole organization.
• Their plan was riddled with practical problems.

How to use it: be riddled with something (The software was riddled with bugs.)

Similar words: pervade

Common phrases: riddle something with errors, riddle something with flaws

To make many holes in something, usually by shooting at it.

• Bullets riddled the door.
• The gunfire riddled our parked car.
• The soldiers found a truck riddled with bullet holes.

How to use it: riddle something with something (The attackers riddled the wall with bullets.)

Similar words: perforate, pepper

Common phrases: riddle something with bullets, riddle the target

To answer or explain a difficult question or puzzle.

• Riddle me this: why did she leave?
• The old man could riddle every question they asked.
• Can you riddle the mystery of the locked room?

How to use it: riddle me this (Riddle me this: how did the key get outside?)

Similar words: solve, answer, explain

Common phrases: riddle me this, riddle this question

To pass material through a tool with holes to separate large and small pieces.

• Riddle the soil before planting.
• He riddled the gravel to remove larger stones.
• The worker riddled the ash through a metal screen.

How to use it: riddle something through something (She riddled the sand through a fine mesh.)

Similar words: sift, sieve

Common phrases: riddle the gravel, riddle the soil, riddle something through something