1
as in obscuring
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
the diner's dark interior, clouded with smoke and grease
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in confusing
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
cloud the issue with obscure statistics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clouding
That’s all great, but the Guardians aren’t ones to make free-agent splashes, and that’s especially the case with a potential work stoppage clouding everything after the 2026 season.
—
Zack Meisel, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Innocent to a fault, Rosemary doesn’t see the resentment clouding her husband’s face.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
Bezos offered a similar assessment earlier this month, suggesting that this excitement might be clouding investors’ judgement.
—Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 13 Oct. 2025
The move means crucial jobs data will not be released on schedule, clouding the outlook for the Federal Reserve just weeks ahead of its next meeting.
—Tasmin Lockwood,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Unspoken resentment clouding a connection?
—Usa Today, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
The lenses of deep-sea fish are also especially susceptible to clouding, in the same way that egg whites go from clear to opaque when hard-boiled.
—Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
Gordon gives examples of self-affirmations--facts to say to yourself when feelings of doubt are clouding them--that are science-backed, too.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Wildfire smoke can travel hundreds of miles, clouding skies and choking air quality in distant cities.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Zack Meisel, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Innocent to a fault, Rosemary doesn’t see the resentment clouding her husband’s face.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
Bezos offered a similar assessment earlier this month, suggesting that this excitement might be clouding investors’ judgement.
—Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 13 Oct. 2025
The move means crucial jobs data will not be released on schedule, clouding the outlook for the Federal Reserve just weeks ahead of its next meeting.
—Tasmin Lockwood,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Unspoken resentment clouding a connection?
—Usa Today, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
The lenses of deep-sea fish are also especially susceptible to clouding, in the same way that egg whites go from clear to opaque when hard-boiled.
—Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
Gordon gives examples of self-affirmations--facts to say to yourself when feelings of doubt are clouding them--that are science-backed, too.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Wildfire smoke can travel hundreds of miles, clouding skies and choking air quality in distant cities.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clouding
Verb
-
The video screen split into panels that lifted up and down throughout the show, always obscuring a large part of the stage.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Breaking up or obscuring the reflection makes the glass visible to birds, preventing them from hitting your windows.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Perplexity’s image features photographs of people with some truly nightmarish distortions on its wall, while the placement of its sink is confusing and distracting.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
25 Oct. 2025
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This was out of respect for me, and also to avoid confusing the children.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The almost imperceptible pigment is an immediate boost of pore- and fine line-blurring prowess.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Among other things, conservatives accused the consultancy of operating as a multibillion-dollar dark money ATM for left-wing causes, allowing foreign money to flow into American politics, and blurring the lines between charitable work and political advocacy.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The state says the foundation did this because Aerial Recovery, the nonprofit, had been obfuscating its name.—
Evan Mealins,
Nashville Tennessean,
24 Oct. 2025
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Some data types can be encrypted randomly, obfuscating enough of the data to stymie hackers—such as using only the last four digits of your credit to confirm your purchase identity.—
Srinivas Shekar,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Our planet is darkening too, as Earth's reflectivity, or albedo, is dropping to near-record lows due to melting ice and reduced snow cover that expose darker surfaces that absorb even more heat.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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Farther up, on Observatory Hill, tall cryptomeria trees were silhouetted in the darkening evening, and down in the valleys, lights winked on like reflections of the planets and stars appearing in the sky.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Injuries are muddying the market for players such as Coby White, who has played fewer than half of the games this season because of recurring calf injuries.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
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But seen another way, this release is also optimally confusing, muddying the waters with as-yet-unverified information that’s being disseminated via individual screenshots on social media, making the whole thing easier to dismiss.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The wax was so hot that my glasses were fogging up.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
15 Dec. 2025
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This small action will prevent mirrors from fogging up in the first place!—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Elhawary acknowledged the billionaire tax proposal is a complicating factor in discussions about taxes, which is already a politically fraught issue.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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Partnerships between public and private entities that were forged during the early days continue to support the event, but as with any public gathering, challenges from the outside were complicating their plans.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clouding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clouding. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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