CLARIFY Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

clarify

verb

ˈkler-ə-ˌfī

Definition of clarify

as in to filter

to remove usually visible impurities from clarify the melted butter by skimming off the milky bits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to explain

to make plain or understandable it would help if you could clarify your position for us

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 clarify Usually, gathering multiple points of view helps clarify your position on a topic. — Shane O’Neill, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026 Change leaders must clarify what’s in the change for employees. — John Radman, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026 The amendment aims to clarify campaign finance rules for candidates running for a seat on the board of education, which overseas LAUSD and its approximately 350,000 students. — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office said previously that details would be clarified at the hearing. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clarify

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clarify

Verb

Pure Bass Sound while actively filtering out unwanted background distractions.

— Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026
Advanced internal valves are specifically engineered to filter out high-frequency vibrations from coarse road surfaces.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of filter

Verb

By comparison, strong fluid flows elongated the cells and caused DNA damage, a crucial control detail that explains why past experiments might have yielded misleading results.

— Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Rowe explained that someone buying a pair of running shoes often sends them back after wearing it for a day to try on the fit.

— Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of explain

Verb

Indonesia imposed a ban on nickel ore exports to encourage smelters to move refining operations to the country; the country is now pushing to attract more of the EV value chain, including car and battery manufacturing.

— Angelica Ang, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
All well and good, but before this could be seriously considered for applications outside the lab, some important things need to be refined.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of refine

Verb

The boomer’s reckoning Voeste grew up in Dortmund, the coal-and-steel city whose fate has long illustrated the dangers of clinging to an industrial past after its economics have changed.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
This is well illustrated at Dia Beacon, where the sculpture Relatum (formerly System), 1969, sits near two paintings both titled With Winds, 1991.

— Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of illustrate

Verb

Heat is transferred from surrounding rock into the system rather than extracting hot groundwater from underground formations.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
Donica said the gypstacks contain rare earth minerals that could be extracted one day with the proper technology, a proposal that university researchers in the state are actively working on.

— Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of extract

Verb

San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York has been suspended for six regular-season games and fined $500,000 for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, the league announced Friday.

— Erick Mendoza, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
The late Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was suspended for six games and fined $500,000 following a guilty plea to driving while impaired in 2014.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of fine

Verb

By the time the ceremony began, the skies had thankfully cleared.

— Alexandra Macon, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026
After a cool and unsettled weekend, warmer weather is expected to return this week, with skies clearing Tuesday and temperatures climbing into the mid-80s by Thursday and Friday before another change brings cooler, wetter conditions for the weekend.

— The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Sun, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of clear

Browse Nearby Words

clarifies

clarify

clarifying

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Style

“Clarify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clarify. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of clarify

verb

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