1
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
2
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
3
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
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Recent Examples of befog
But the Taycan's launch control hits harder than the Model S's, smacking us with 1.3 g's of initial acceleration long enough to befog our noggin.
—
Dave Vanderwerp, Car and Driver, 7 Feb. 2020
This is the point where accidentally interacting with passerby distracted by their smartphones, their attention equally befogged by another kind of augmented reality, could result in a very bad ending.
—Matt Peckham, Time, 23 June 2017
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
Dave Vanderwerp, Car and Driver, 7 Feb. 2020
This is the point where accidentally interacting with passerby distracted by their smartphones, their attention equally befogged by another kind of augmented reality, could result in a very bad ending.
—Matt Peckham, Time, 23 June 2017
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
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Transparency Without Predictability Feels Like an Excuse Don’t confuse transparency with honesty.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Last summer, Noemi Rios of Dallas started the grassroots organization Vecinos Unidos to advise immigrants of their rights and to identify people who may be confused by or scared of the system.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Unsheltered homelessness decreased by 45% between 2023 and 2025, according to those year’s counts, but advocates for homeless people say cold-weather shelters and other factors can obscure the figures.—
Jon Murray,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
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Law enforcement tracked license plate readers until the Mercedes-Benz’s plate was not obscured and found that the car was registered to Lu, according to a criminal complaint.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Oc Register,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But unlike his Sophoclean namesake, Orestes is bewildered by this escalation and refuses.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
-
In April, the president was among those bewildered by his fall.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
Verb
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My fear is that the murder of a poet on the streets of Minneapolis will encourage you to darken.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
While only a handful of the Pleiades' brightest stars are visible from city centres, more of the cluster's 1,000-strong population become visible as skies darken.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Gargantuan boulders, twisted spiky trees, and vibrant sunset colors form an arid landscape that has perplexed and inspired creative titans like Jim Morrison and Gram Parsons for years.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The disjunction between the abstract composition and the notion of self-portraiture appeared perplexing in its own right; its inoperability only exacerbated the viewer’s frustration and redoubled the artist’s impish provocation.—
Ara H. Merjian,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Lawyers for the group contend that the city is willfully obfuscating to cover up its inadequate efforts to live up to its settlement.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
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Instead, DeSantis unleashed a rambling recap of the past seven years, with plenty of unsourced statistics, claims of victory that aren’t supported by reality, and wording often designed to obfuscate the most controversial parts of his tenure.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The White House on Thursday posted a picture on its X page of civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong appearing to be crying with her hands behind her back as she is escorted by a person wearing a badge whose image is blurred.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2026
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Workman’s presence blurs the line between leverage and legitimacy.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Befog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befog. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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