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

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

Why complicate that research with a fancy label that just muddies the waters? — Quanta Magazine, 8 July 2026

Rhymes for muddy the waters

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