1
as in to confuse
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
don't becloud the discussion by raising unrelated issues
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
the smog from the city's steel mills was once so oppressive that it beclouded the local landscape even at noon
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of becloud
But instead of sounding the alarm, defendants went out of their way to becloud the emerging scientific consensus.
—
Edward Fitzpatrick, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2019
His flacks and surrogates hand out scraps of information grudgingly, infrequently, and beclouded by fragrant eructations of doublespeak.
—Charles Seife, Slate Magazine, 1 Mar. 2017
Edward Fitzpatrick, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2019
His flacks and surrogates hand out scraps of information grudgingly, infrequently, and beclouded by fragrant eructations of doublespeak.
—Charles Seife, Slate Magazine, 1 Mar. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for becloud
Verb
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The rest of the members’ faces were left blank and confused at the mention of barking.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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Wrong, Krista, to confuse an investment with a subsidy.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Architectures that obscure how data is processed or how decisions are made inherently increase operational exposure.—
Abhi Sharma,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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However, very few of the impact craters on Earth are visible because of various processes that obscure or erase them.—
Marian Selorm Sapah,
Space.com,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Leagues often obfuscate finances during labor negotiations, but, in the case of the W.N.B.A., the numbers are particularly difficult to understand.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
27 July 2025
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Update, April 15, 2025: This story, originally published April 13, has now been updated with details of how real-time email validation helps attackers, along with further information from Trustwave detailing how attackers obfuscate their 2FA bypass phishing threats.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The sky darkened during the Rays’ fourth-inning rally, and light rain intensified into a heavy downpour an inning later.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
31 July 2025
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Moments later, the sky darkens into a purplish blue before being split by a sharp bolt of lightning.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
Verb
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The outlook for the Japanese yen has been clouded by trade worries.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
21 July 2025
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One consequence is wetland waters that are clouded with particles, shutting out light and potentially harming aquatic wildlife, Caiola said.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
20 July 2025
Verb
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Tweaked as recently as 1992, the house deliberately blurs boundaries between interior and exterior, public and private, finished and unfinished.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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AirPods blur the line between presence and absence, reducing opportunities for mindfulness.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Leaves and buds that are bitten by frost will blacken and shrivel, sometimes all over the plant.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 July 2025
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Let skins blister and blacken, while turning peppers with tongs, until they’re evenly blackened, about 5 minutes.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
Denver Post,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Becloud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/becloud. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
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