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Paradox vs. Puzzle — What's the Difference?

Paradox vs. Puzzle — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Paradox and Puzzle

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Paradox

A paradox is a logically self-contradictory statement or a statement that runs contrary to one's expectation. It is a statement that, despite apparently valid reasoning from true premises, leads to a seemingly self-contradictory or a logically unacceptable conclusion.

Puzzle

A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together in a logical way, in order to arrive at the correct or fun solution of the puzzle.

Paradox

A seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated may prove to be well founded or true
The uncertainty principle leads to all sorts of paradoxes, like the particles being in two places at once

Puzzle

Something, such as a game, toy, or problem, that requires ingenuity and often persistence in solving or assembling.

Paradox

A statement that seems to contradict itself but may nonetheless be true
The paradox that standing is more tiring than walking.
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Puzzle

Something that baffles or confuses; an enigma
The puzzle of the author's true identity.

Paradox

A person, thing, or situation that exhibits inexplicable or contradictory aspects
"The silence of midnight, to speak truly, though apparently a paradox, rung in my ears" (Mary Shelley).

Puzzle

The condition of being perplexed; bewilderment
I'm really in a puzzle over how this happened.

Paradox

A statement that is self-contradictory or logically untenable, though based on a valid deduction from acceptable premises.

Puzzle

To baffle or confuse mentally by presenting or being a difficult problem or matter.

Paradox

An apparently self-contradictory statement, which can only be true if it is false, and vice versa.
"This sentence is false" is a paradox.

Puzzle

To clarify or solve (something confusing) by reasoning or study
He puzzled out the significance of the statement.

Paradox

A counterintuitive conclusion or outcome.
It is an interesting paradox that drinking a lot of water can often make you feel thirsty.

Puzzle

To be perplexed.

Paradox

A claim that two apparently contradictory ideas are true.
Not having a fashion is a fashion; that's a paradox.

Puzzle

To ponder over a problem in an effort to solve or understand it.

Paradox

A thing involving contradictory yet interrelated elements that exist simultaneously and persist over time.

Puzzle

Anything that is difficult to understand or make sense of.
Where he went after he left the house is a puzzle.

Paradox

A person or thing having contradictory properties.
He is a paradox; you would not expect him in that political party.

Puzzle

A game for one or more people that is more or less difficult to work out or complete.

Paradox

An unanswerable question or difficult puzzle, particularly one which leads to a deeper truth.

Puzzle

A crossword puzzle.

Paradox

(obsolete) A statement which is difficult to believe, or which goes against general belief.

Puzzle

A jigsaw puzzle.

Paradox

(uncountable) The use of counterintuitive or contradictory statements (paradoxes) in speech or writing.

Puzzle

A riddle.

Paradox

A state in which one is logically compelled to contradict oneself.

Puzzle

(archaic) Something made with marvellous skill; something of ingenious construction.

Paradox

The practice of giving instructions that are opposed to the therapist's actual intent, with the intention that the client will disobey or be unable to obey.

Puzzle

The state of being puzzled; perplexity.
To be in a puzzle

Paradox

A tenet or proposition contrary to received opinion; an assertion or sentiment seemingly contradictory, or opposed to common sense; that which in appearance or terms is absurd, but yet may be true in fact.
A gloss there is to color that paradox, and make it appear in show not to be altogether unreasonable.
This was sometime a paradox, but now the time gives it proof.

Puzzle

(transitive) To perplex, confuse, or mystify; to cause (someone) to be faced with a mystery, without answers or an explanation.

Paradox

(logic) a self-contradiction;
`I always lie' is a paradox because if it is true it must be false

Puzzle

(intransitive) To think long and carefully, in bewilderment.
We puzzled over the curious-shaped lock, but were unable to discover how the key should be inserted.

Puzzle

(transitive) To make intricate; to entangle.

Puzzle

Something which perplexes or embarrasses; especially, a toy or a problem contrived for testing ingenuity; also, something exhibiting marvelous skill in making.

Puzzle

The state of being puzzled; perplexity; as, to be in a puzzle.

Puzzle

To perplex; to confuse; to embarrass; to put to a stand; to nonplus.
A very shrewd disputant in those points is dexterous in puzzling others.
He is perpetually puzzled and perplexed amidst his own blunders.

Puzzle

To make intricate; to entangle.
They disentangle from the puzzled skein.
The ways of Heaven are dark and intricate,Puzzled in mazes, and perplexed with error.

Puzzle

To solve by ingenuity, as a puzzle; - followed by out; as, to puzzle out a mystery.

Puzzle

To be bewildered, or perplexed.
A puzzling fool, that heeds nothing.

Puzzle

To work, as at a puzzle; as, to puzzle over a problem.

Puzzle

A particularly baffling problem that is said to have a correct solution;
He loved to solve chessmate puzzles
That's a real puzzler

Puzzle

A toy that tests your ingenuity

Puzzle

Be a mystery or bewildering to;
This beats me!
Got me--I don't know the answer!
A vexing problem
This question really stuck me

Puzzle

Be uncertain about; think about without fully understanding or being able to decide;
We puzzled over her sudden departure

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