1
: blocking the passage of radiant energy and especially light : exhibiting opacity (see opacity sense 1)
2
a
: hard to understand or explain
opaque prose
b
opaque
noun
opaquely
adverb
opaqueness
noun
Examples of opaque in a Sentence
In the opening hour, a group of strangers receive a maddeningly opaque cell-phone summons to join a secret cross-country race with a $32 million prize. The thing is, the summons can also be a threat (one competitor's wife is possibly being held captive), and the consequences of falling behind are murderous.
—
Tom Gliatto, People, 23 Apr. 2007
The reality facing Rory Stewart was that he was sent into a collapsed rural region in a country of which he knew almost nothing, and in which he had to find his way through a maze of opaque tribal and religious relationships.
—Robert Skidelsky, New York Review of Books, 5 Oct. 2006
Arborio rice, the kind that grows in the Po Valley and gave rise to the wonderful dish risotto, has a tiny opaque white pearl on the inside that remains al dente, and starch on the outside that the grains release during cooking, making a creamy sauce.
—Corby Kummer, Atlantic, March 1993
the opaque water of the muddy river
somehow listeners seem to connect with the songwriter, despite his deeply personal, often opaque lyrics
Tom Gliatto, People, 23 Apr. 2007
The reality facing Rory Stewart was that he was sent into a collapsed rural region in a country of which he knew almost nothing, and in which he had to find his way through a maze of opaque tribal and religious relationships.
—Robert Skidelsky, New York Review of Books, 5 Oct. 2006
Arborio rice, the kind that grows in the Po Valley and gave rise to the wonderful dish risotto, has a tiny opaque white pearl on the inside that remains al dente, and starch on the outside that the grains release during cooking, making a creamy sauce.
—Corby Kummer, Atlantic, March 1993
the opaque water of the muddy river
somehow listeners seem to connect with the songwriter, despite his deeply personal, often opaque lyrics
Recent Examples on the Web
For all the attention created and fear induced, the results of the operations remained opaque — until recently, when numbers on the actual arrests were released by Homeland Security.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
By the Season 2 finale, her purpose in the show remained opaque.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 June 2025
Most Large-Scale Tax Changes Happen At The State Level
Very few cities enforce their own individual and corporate income tax, making comparisons to how this increase will affect taxpayers opaque.
—Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Like coconut milk itself, the polish is an opaque milky-white hue.
—Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for opaque
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Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
By the Season 2 finale, her purpose in the show remained opaque.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 June 2025
Most Large-Scale Tax Changes Happen At The State Level
Very few cities enforce their own individual and corporate income tax, making comparisons to how this increase will affect taxpayers opaque.
—Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Like coconut milk itself, the polish is an opaque milky-white hue.
—Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for opaque
Cite this Entry
“Opaque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opaque. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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