BLUR Synonyms: 119 Similar and Opposite Words

blur 1 of 2

verb

Definition of blur

as in to confuse

to make (something) unclear to the understanding an article for the layman that blurs the distinction between the two kinds of cholesterol

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to obscure

to make dark, dim, or indistinct evening shadows blurred the view of the valley from the overlook

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

blur

2 of 2

noun

as in taint

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 blur

Verb

In quantum physics, the distinction between representation and the thing being represented is easier to blur. — Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Fashion and athletics have long shared a vocabulary of performance and precision—and nowhere more visibly than in Italy, where houses from Prada to Armani have repeatedly blurred the line between sporting uniform and high style. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2026

Noun

Its blazing 165-hertz refresh rate and 1ms response time team up with AMD FreeSync to wipe out motion blur, screen tearing, and input lag. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026 The following set-and-a-half passed in a blur of Alcaraz errors, 17 of them unforced in the second set alone, against just eight winners. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for blur

Recent Examples of Synonyms for blur

Verb

Enjoy the encouragement, but do not confuse applause with commitment.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 25 Sep. 2026
If an employee wants clarity, it shouldn’t automatically be confused with hand-holding.

— Jeff LeBlanc, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of confuse

Verb

Faces were often obscured with colored dots, to draw the viewer’s attention away from an image’s central figures to the surrounding elements.

— Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
Yet, on balance, the negative news has served to obscure the good, both for individual consumers and the nation at large.

— Rob Wile, NBC news, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of obscure

Noun

Even though Thiam denied knowledge of it and was cleared of involvement, the taint of the scandal led to his ouster.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
On top of worrying about making great wine, European producers will now have to mitigate against smoke taint, save their grapes from frost, and consider how to future-proof vineyards in a rapidly changing climate.

— Kate Dingwall, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 July 2026

Definition of taint

Verb

That came in the form of both Lawrence pushing the pocket to muddy Mayfield’s ability to step up and Mafe screaming around the edge, having blown past right tackle Luke Goedeke.

— Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
And Treasury’s bond-market intervention might have muddied market signals, so Warsh can credibly argue for time.

— Liz Rappaport, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of muddy

Verb

Fellow activists accused her of having darkened her skin using makeup and fake tanner and adopting a Black American accent after returning from a stint in the Peace Corps in Rwanda.

— Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 28 Sep. 2026
But at a festive National Day meal in Riyadh, where families dined while patriotic songs filled the room, there was a growing sense that the public mood may be darkening.

— Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of darken

Noun

Police found apparent blood stains in several areas of Machado's car, which investigators said Sierra used to drive the victims from the mall to the home.

— Sergio Candido, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
It’s designed for high-traffic areas like the living room or dining room, thanks to its durable low-pile construction and stain-resistant surface.

— Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of stain

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

The star in my second occultation was brighter, and the dimming much longer, so no squinting was required.

— David Schneider, IEEE Spectrum, 24 Sep. 2026
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to arrive in Washington on Wednesday, but likely without a coterie of corporate leaders, dimming already-low expectations of potential business deals between the superpowers.

— Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of dim

Browse Nearby Words

blunts

blur

blurb

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Blur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blur. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of blur

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

slew

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes