befogging

verb

present participle of befog
1
as in confusing
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obscuring
to make dark, dim, or indistinct the morning murk befogged our view of the harbor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty completely befogged by the sudden change of subject

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for befogging
  1. confusing
  2. obscuring
  3. baffling
  4. blurring
  5. darkening
  6. puzzling
  7. bewildering
  8. perplexing
Verb
  • Bill Belichick has made a Hall of Fame career on confusing young quarterbacks.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The crowd even includes Sam, who has a fun moment catching up with Roy and confusing him with an observation that sounds like it was inspired by The Wizard of Oz.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • In the early ‘80s, the singer was already obscuring his Blackness with makeup (prior to remaking his features with plastic surgery).
    — Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Digital secondary channels have become the main outlet for liquidating illicit inventories, often obscuring sellers’ origins while reaching millions of buyers worldwide.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscuring
Verb
  • Their admirable determination makes Diamantis’ flight from the United States baffling for us and humiliating for them.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The sequel, on the other hand, is shaped by baffling decisions from director Susanne Bier and cinematographer Simon Duggan that render the film antiseptic.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of baffling
Verb
  • Macron has also successfully poached multiple party members to serve in his Cabinet, blurring the relationship further.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Scientists have been able to measure quantum effects in larger and more complex systems and over great distances, blurring the line once thought to separate the scale of observer and observed.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of blurring
Verb
  • Abdalla’s fall refresh enhances her brunette base by darkening her roots and replacing those golden ribbons with warm brunette tones for lived-in dimension.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 20 Oct. 2026
  • But the security backdrop in the Strait of Hormuz is darkening even as rates fall.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of darkening
Verb
  • Researchers are still puzzling through what happened to the ancient Maya civilization, which mysteriously dwindled.
    — Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026
  • To read her book is to be reminded that childhood can be a puzzling passage for anyone, even in an ostensibly simpler time and place.
    — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of puzzling
Verb
  • The threats are constantly evolving, layering upon themselves with bewildering speed.
    — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But these casting decisions are bewildering, to say the least, and will certainly cost the film ticket sales and potential revenue.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of bewildering
Verb
  • Gibson Nash, 21, was charged with first-degree murder after a series of perplexing events eventually led police to his mother’s bloodied body.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • But there were also perplexing moments that punctured the gravitas of the event (even for an event built around hand-to-hand combat).
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
Definition of perplexing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

befogged
befogging
befogs
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Befogging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befogging. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of emissary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All