cloud 1 of 2

noun

ˈklau̇d How to pronounce cloud (audio)
Definition of cloudnext
as in pall
an overspreading element that produces an atmosphere of gloom all day we were under a cloud until we heard the good news

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cloud

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct the diner's dark interior, clouded with smoke and grease

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to confuse
to make (something) unclear to the understanding cloud the issue with obscure statistics

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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 cloud
Noun
The phenomena were observed earlier this month thanks to monsoon moisture coming from the south and bringing midlevel clouds. — Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 Analysts say the market will pay particular attention to Alphabet’s cloud business growth, returns on its AI investments and its capital expenditure plans for next year. — CNBC, 20 July 2026
Verb
Wholesale inflation fell from May to June on plunging energy prices, but intensifying hostilities with Iran are clouding the outlook. — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026 Let’s demand our politicians provide more support for renewable energy since their point of view appears to be clouded by fossil fuel lobbyists and a stunted vision for the future. — Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cloud
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloud
  1. pall
  2. obscure
  3. confuse
  4. fog
  5. blur
  6. becloud
  7. shadow
  8. darken
Noun
  • The Dodgers had opened Pandora’s box, and out would fly a lockout, a pall of smoke over their games, and a plague of locusts.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
  • But now, the idyllic Mississippi island is overcast with an unsettling pall after the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 18 July 2026
Definition of pall
Verb
  • Yet statistics alone obscure another story and one that is rarely centered in public memory.
    — Jallicia Jolly, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • Their selective invocations of Washington may have obscured his complicity, but some abolitionists truly believed doing so would help bring the horror of American slavery to an end.
    — John Garrison Marks, The Atlantic, 25 July 2026
Definition of obscure
Verb
  • Still, don’t confuse harmony with everyone silently knowing the plan.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 July 2026
  • Large-scale solar farms cause habitat loss, fragment ecosystems, and confuse wildlife with reflective panels, while concentrated solar can vaporize birds.
    — Indrabati Lahiri, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of confuse
Noun
  • The majority of the West Coast and southern Alaska also see cooler Pacific air roll over the warmer land, creating a thick fog that can lower summer month temperatures.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 July 2026
  • Every change meant familiar faces leaving and old landmarks disappearing into the fog of the past.
    — William Jones, USA Today, 22 July 2026
Definition of fog
Verb
  • Olsen first teased his relationship with Dockerty in October, soft-launching his new beau by blurring out his face in photos on social media.
    — Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
  • Both kinds of misconduct blur the line between a victim and perpetrator, experts in child protection said.
    — Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 20 July 2026
Definition of blur
Verb
  • 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
Definition of becloud
Noun
  • With 67% of employees engaging in shadow AI usage at work, this unapproved use of chatbots and other AI agents is potentially exposing companies’ sensitive data.
    — Ryan Grant, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • This dominance is physically and mentally exhausting for opponents, who are left chasing shadows as Spain’s technicians pass around them with precision.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of shadow
Verb
  • As a makeup product, it can be used as a primer, highlighter, bronzer, foundation shade adjuster (pick a shade to darken or lighten a complexion product that’s a little bit off), and even a skin tint thanks to its sheer but transformative pigment.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 20 July 2026
  • The Hapsburg Inspector General, the equivalent of the food inspector darkening the doorway of a scummy restaurant?
    — Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of darken

Phrases Containing cloud

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clotting
cloud
cloudburst
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Cite this Entry

“Cloud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cloud. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cloud

Nglish: Translation of cloud for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cloud

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