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 slope of the monthly cloud rises into year-end, which should continue to bolster price and provide support for the secular uptrend. — Katie Stockton, CNBC, 27 July 2026 Instead, like the Boston Red Sox and the ‘Curse of the Bambino‘, Mayo’s long years of heartbreak come wrapped in a cloud of superstitious folklore. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 27 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
  • Whatever its stated purpose, the assertion seemed designed to cast a pall on the elections four months hence.
    — James Robenalt, Vanity Fair, 27 July 2026
  • Slower growth could cast a pall on the November midterm elections.
    — David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 25 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
  • Although this performance does dip into a reckoning with her more basic shadow self, Cohen brings Broad Strokes to its conclusion briskly and with minimal bathos.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 28 July 2026
  • However, Leo’s shadow can show up as a mix of defensiveness, entitlement or an excessive attachment to validation.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 27 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 31 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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