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maze

/meɪz/
/meɪz/
IPA guide

Other forms: mazes

A maze is a puzzle with twists and turns, where you try to find a path from the entrance to the exit without hitting dead ends. You can walk through a maze, or let your pencil do the walking.

The goal of a maze is to get through it, which means going the wrong way, retracing your steps, and choosing different paths. There are mazes that you walk through, and mazes on paper where you draw a line to the end. You can also use maze for any complicated system, like the maze of hallways and staircases in an enormous new school. Originally, maze meant "delusion or bewilderment," which captures what it's like to be inside one.

Definitions of maze
  1. noun
    complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost
    synonyms: labyrinth, warren
    see moresee less
    examples:
    Labyrinth of Minos
    a vast labyrinth built in Crete by Daedalus at the command of Minos in order to contain the Minotaur
    type of:
    system
    instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity
  2. noun
    something jumbled or confused
    synonyms: snarl, tangle
    see moresee less
    type of:
    perplexity
    trouble or confusion resulting from complexity
Pronunciation
US
/meɪz/
UK
/meɪz/
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