A maze is a complex network of paths or passages designed to confuse anyone trying to find their way through it. Picture a puzzle you walk through instead of solving on paper: you make choices at every turn, some leading you closer to the exit and others sending you into dead ends.

The most famous maze in ancient stories is the Labyrinth of Crete, where the legendary Minotaur lived. Today, you might encounter a corn maze at a farm, where farmers plant tall corn in patterns that create winding pathways. Some mazes are drawn on paper as puzzles you solve with a pencil. Garden mazes, made from tall hedges, have been popular for centuries at fancy estates.

Scientists use mazes to study how animals learn and remember. A mouse might navigate a maze to find food, learning which turns work and which don't. Your brain creates a kind of mental map as you solve a maze, remembering which paths you've tried.

People sometimes say they feel mazed (an old-fashioned word meaning confused) when facing a complicated problem. When something is maze-like, it means it's confusing and has many interconnected parts, like trying to understand a huge hospital building or a complicated set of rules.