The phrase "making heads or tails of" is used to describe the process of understanding something that is confusing or unclear. There are several synonyms for this phrase that describe a similar experience. These include "deciphering," "figuring out," "grasping," "comprehending," "parsing," "making sense of," "unpacking," and "disentangling." Each of these words implies a process of breaking down complex information into smaller, more understandable parts. While the phrase "making heads or tails of" is a common idiom, using these synonyms can help to enrich your writing and describe the process of understanding in a more nuanced way.