unclear

adjective

un·​clear ˌən-ˈklir 

: not clear: such as

a

: difficult to understand

an unclear explanation

unclear instructions

an unclear reference

b

: confused or uncertain about something

—often used with about

was a little unclear about how to proceed

unclearly adverb

speaking unclearly

an unclearly remembered incident

Synonyms of unclear

• vague
• ambiguous

Examples of unclear in a Sentence

their suggestion for correcting the problem is a bit unclear

obtained at best an unclear glimpse of the rarely seen bird from across the road

Recent Examples on the Web

And this morning, after threatening a new massive strike and then reportedly taking that off the table for now, the strategy to end this war is still unclear, even after those deadly attacks on Americans. — ABC News, 26 July 2026

Season 1 ended with the fate of Quinn (Kelly) and Staten (Duhamel) unclear after weeks of tension, and the new installment picks up six months later as Quinn returns to the small Texas town after a stint in New York City. — Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 26 July 2026

Encourage your team to ask a clarifying question anytime something feels unclear. — Esther K. Choy, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

Both enter this fall on the roster bubble and their availability for the beginning of camp remains unclear. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 25 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing unclear

• unclear on the concept of

Rhymes for unclear

• adhere
• ameer
• amir
• appear
• arrear
• astir
• austere
• career
• cashier
• cohere
• compere
• emir