muddy the waters

phrase

: to make a situation more confusing or difficult

Examples of muddy the waters in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To muddy the waters further, there have been instances when both regional and departmental teams have played against each other in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. — Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Yet, rather than focus on what occurred and a path forward, the industry is choosing to focus on other variables that muddy the waters. — Shlomo Kramer, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026

Tariffs, artificial intelligence, and immigration are also muddying the waters for policymakers. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 29 July 2026

On the stand the players refused to incriminate themselves, instead blaming each other or pointing fingers at the gamblers, who muddied the waters even further. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for muddy the waters

• backwaters
• breakwaters
• floodwaters
• granddaughters
• groundwaters
• headwaters
• shearwaters
• wastewaters
• blotters
• daughters
• otters
• plotters