BEFOG Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

befog

verb

bi-ˈfȯg

Definition of befog

as in to confuse

to make (something) unclear to the understanding the professor's convoluted explanation only befogged the textbook's presentation of this scientific principle

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to obscure

to make dark, dim, or indistinct the morning murk befogged our view of the harbor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to bewilder

to throw into a state of mental uncertainty completely befogged by the sudden change of subject

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of befog The detective blames Nichols, the self-aggrandizing adviser who convinced the Cabazons to build a casino, for conjuring the intrigue that continued to befog the case long after his death. — Andrew Rice, WIRED, 4 Feb. 2011

Recent Examples of Synonyms for befog

Verb

Dealing with the British, his Tenzing is scrupulous and honorable, but don’t confuse that with subservience.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Decoys, which carry no explosives, help confuse Russian air defenses and force them to waste ammunition.

— Jarrett Ley, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of confuse

Verb

Writers would deliberately distort certain letters to convey their identities to close confidantes and obscure them from others.

— Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Indeed, the whole point of lethal injection is to obscure the violence of the state taking a human life.

— Maya Foa, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of obscure

Verb

Latif is conflicted by his double life, bewildered by his doubling of parental responsibilities, constantly trying to think two moves ahead yet always ending up three steps behind.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Dan emerges as Primetime’s unlikely heart, bewildered by the dark world he’s wandered into and left to negotiate his ambitions with the high stakes of the job.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of bewilder

Verb

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

Definition of becloud

Verb

In its latest incarnation, designed by the firm S9, the curtain wall has darkened and the electronic billboards brightened, so that the tower resembles a TV mount, more apparatus than architecture.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026
Verity is immobile and catatonic, and Lowen learns that the family’s life is also darkened by a child’s accidental death.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of darken

Verb

California‘s seven Supreme Court justices appeared by turns perplexed by and incredulous of those theories during oral arguments last month.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
They were perplexed at first, flummoxed, but pleasant, and unfortunately for them, already long gone from the airport.

— Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of perplex

Verb

We have been taught that such a system is too complex to dismantle, but it has been made complex to obfuscate the most obvious fact imaginable, which is that there is no justification, ever, for denying a sick person care.

— Elizabeth Nicholas, Vanity Fair, 9 Sep. 2026
Throughout the history of the game, as concerned parties sought evidence, some of football’s most powerful protectors obfuscated the problem.

— Emily Harrison, STAT, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of obfuscate

Verb

But even with 22 tracks to work with, the sound too often defaults to a similar muted backdrop, which blurs some of the less distinct songs together.

— Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
The move into podcasting marks another expansion for MasterClass, which has increasingly blurred the lines between online education and entertainment.

— Anna Tingley, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of blur

Browse Nearby Words

befitting

befog

befogged

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“Befog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befog. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of befog

verb

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