obfuscate

verb

ob·​fus·​cate ˈäb-fə-ˌskāt 

äb-ˈfə-ˌskāt,

əb-

obfuscated; obfuscating

transitive verb

1

a

: to throw into shadow : darken

b

: to make obscure

obfuscate the issue

officials who … continue to obscure and obfuscate what happened

—Mary Carroll

2

: confuse

obfuscate the reader

intransitive verb

: to be evasive, unclear, or confusing

The suspect often obfuscated during the interrogation.

obfuscation

ˌäb-(ˌ)fə-ˈskā-shən 

noun

obfuscatory

äb-ˈfə-skə-ˌtȯr-ē 

əb-

adjective

Did you know?

Try to Understand the Roots of Obfuscate

Obfuscate comes from the Latin prefix ob- (meaning "over" or "completely") and fuscus ("dark-colored"). That fact gives an idea as to how the word can refer to making something difficult to see or understand—much like how dark, dirty water makes it hard to see the bottom.

Synonyms

• becloud
• befog
• blur
• cloud
• confuse
• fog
• muddy

Examples of obfuscate in a Sentence

Politicians keep obfuscating the issues.

Their explanations only serve to obfuscate and confuse.

Recent Examples on the Web

While these laws are well-intentioned, the data that companies share to comply with them is usually structured in a way that obfuscates crucial details that would expose harm. —Surya Mattu, WIRED, 22 Aug. 2023

But company finances are rarely transparent, obfuscating how much owners make from their senior living operations — and to what extent their profits are inflated by low staffing at facilities. —Sahana Jayaraman, AZCentral.com, 27 June 2023

But to Smith, those exceptions can obfuscate the work that still needs to be done. —Time, 17 Aug. 2023

Lasers have offensive potential to blind or discomfit enemy personnel as well as obfuscate or destroy sensitive electrooptical sensors. —Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 9 June 2023

Nikhil Wahi and Ramani tried to obfuscate the trades by using various anonymous crypto wallets. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Crypto, 26 Apr. 2023

Meanwhile, Vargas’ enquiries become progressively more obfuscated by the American cop Hank Quinlan (Welles), a besotted incarnation of corruption who alternately conspires with Susie’s captors and seeks solace in the brothel of the Gypsy madame (Marlene Dietrich) who comforted him in bygone times. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 June 2023

But the haze of fact-free hype surrounding Ramaswamy’s business exploits obfuscates some of the key questions about his true business background which have gone unanswered. —Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 14 June 2023

By obfuscating sources, users render transparent the mode of engagement AI inherently advances: one founded on mass consumption, where quantity itself is quality. —Vivian Lam, WIRED, 24 Feb. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin obfuscātus, offuscātus, past participle of obfuscāre, offuscāre "to obscure, darken, depreciate," from Latin ob-, perfective prefix + -fuscāre, verbal derivative of fuscus "dark-colored, somber, dark-skinned or -complected" — more at ob-, dusk entry 1

First Known Use

1536, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!