conundrum

kuh-NUN-drum

meaning in plain English

Picture a kid staring at a tricky crossword clue that seems to grin at you. That puzzling situation is a conundrum – a hard question or riddle that often hides a clever play on words.

Think of a tangled knot you can't untie – that frustrating feeling is a conundrum.

for example

Choosing between the last slice of pizza and the dessert was a real conundrum for the kids.

In other words, a conundrum is a brain‑teaser that makes you think twice, usually because the wording tricks you. Ever felt stuck on a riddle where the answer is a pun? That's a conundrum.