Synonyms of clarifying

clarifying 1 of 2

adjective

as in illuminating

Related Words

• illuminating
• explanatory
• elucidative
• revealing
• direct
• frank
• outspoken
• candid
• revelatory
• plainspoken
• plain
• openhearted
• forthright
• open
• straight
• free-spoken
• truthful
• straightforward
• trustworthy
• nondeceptive
• foursquare
• honest
• aboveboard

Dissimilar Words

• misleading
• deceptive
• false
• fallacious
• specious
• beguiling
• deceiving
• subtle
• deceitful
• delusive
• trick
• tricky
• deluding
• artful
• incorrect
• cunning
• sly
• sneaky
• slick
• wrong
• subtile
• shady
• wily
• shifty
• crafty
• delusory
• devious
• underhanded
• inaccurate
• foxy
• underhand
• trickish
• sneaking
• guileful

clarifying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of clarify

1

as in filtering

to remove usually visible impurities from

clarify the melted butter by skimming off the milky bits

Synonyms & Similar Words

• filtering
• refining
• extracting
• cleaning
• fining
• clearing
• purifying
• processing
• distilling
• washing
• purging
• rectifying
• garbling
• sifting
• cleansing
• decontaminating
• screening
• sanitizing
• leaching
• disinfecting
• sieving
• elutriating
• bolting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• clouding
• muddying
• dulling
• contaminating
• soiling
• polluting
• dirtying
• defiling
• tainting
• fouling
• besmirching
• sullying
• begriming

2

as in explaining

to make plain or understandable

it would help if you could clarify your position for us

Synonyms & Similar Words

• explaining
• illustrating
• demonstrating
• simplifying
• illuminating
• interpreting
• elucidating
• explicating
• construing
• expounding
• analyzing
• clearing (up)
• demystifying
• defining
• resolving
• spelling out
• specifying
• getting across
• deciphering
• solving
• unriddling
• decoding
• unraveling
• disentangling
• untangling
• glossing
• undoing
• annotating
• breaking down
• unscrambling
• commentating

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• obscuring
• clouding
• confusing
• confounding
• obfuscating
• befogging

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of clarifying

Adjective

Some of the most clarifying conversations about where work is headed come from people who are just entering it. — Lindsey Garito, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026

As the Virgo Moon arrives November 13 to 15, things get even more introspective, but in the best, most clarifying way. — Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 9 Nov. 2025

And that was a clarifying moment for me in my understanding of their relationship. — Max Gao, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025

These compositions have surprising emotional impact and a clarifying depth. — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2024

Verb

The piece contends that the rulings strengthen public confidence in California’s election administration by protecting the chain of custody and clarifying state oversight of local law enforcement. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

However, Homestead police released a statement Thursday afternoon clarifying that the driver remained at the scene and was not at fault. — Peter D'oench, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

The dismissal comes just months after the Connecticut legislature voted to pass legislation clarifying its repeal of the religious exemption — a move that drew heated criticism from Republicans. — Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026

On the west side of the property, which Fort Worth owns, there are tanks and other equipment for receiving, clarifying and treating wastewater before it is discharged into the nearby West Fork of the Trinity River. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026

The mayor’s statement also emphasizes the importance of clarifying the nature of the production to Budapest’s residents to prevent any potential alarm. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026

One Question Every Leader Should Ask Unexpected setbacks, whether personal, professional or organizational, have a way of clarifying what’s really important. — Nathan Mitchell, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

In her earliest draft, which Woolf completed on April 20, 1930, poetry and abstraction have not yet lit everything up, clarifying and confounding in the same moment. — Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026

In December, the Postal Service finalized a rule clarifying that postmarks don’t necessarily reflect the date the agency first took possession of a piece of mail, but rather the day it was handled in one of its processing centers. — ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026