as in ambiguity
the quality or state of having a veiled or uncertain meaning
we had trouble understanding the passage because of its murkiness
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Recent Examples of murkiness
As Raul grapples with telling the story of Elsa’s life, he’s confronted by the murkiness of borrowing from real people for the purposes of fiction.
—
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 May 2026
After Daniel Jones tore his ACL late last season, the quarterback position has some murkiness for the Colts entering 2026.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
The Cubs did not officially make a roster move to add Riley to their active roster because of the murkiness of whether the game would be played.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Mahan and Villaraigosa are the only two Democrats who have publicly called to roll back regulations on the state’s oil and gas market, illustrating the political murkiness at the nexus of California’s climate and affordability challenges.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Trading McCarthy would leave no murkiness around the hierarchy in the quarterback room.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
The murkiness of Acquisition Logistics’ involvement in El Paso is hardly an exception among many of the companies profiting from the border-security gold rush.
—Garrett M. Graff, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
There is a bit of murkiness on salaries for coaches of private schools like TCU, as USA Today’s amounts for private schools were based on schools’ most recently available financial records, which cover the 2023 calendar year.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
There’s some murkiness about where the recipe originated; both baking brands White Lily and Martha White claim to have pioneered the beloved bread.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2026
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 May 2026
After Daniel Jones tore his ACL late last season, the quarterback position has some murkiness for the Colts entering 2026.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
The Cubs did not officially make a roster move to add Riley to their active roster because of the murkiness of whether the game would be played.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Mahan and Villaraigosa are the only two Democrats who have publicly called to roll back regulations on the state’s oil and gas market, illustrating the political murkiness at the nexus of California’s climate and affordability challenges.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Trading McCarthy would leave no murkiness around the hierarchy in the quarterback room.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
The murkiness of Acquisition Logistics’ involvement in El Paso is hardly an exception among many of the companies profiting from the border-security gold rush.
—Garrett M. Graff, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
There is a bit of murkiness on salaries for coaches of private schools like TCU, as USA Today’s amounts for private schools were based on schools’ most recently available financial records, which cover the 2023 calendar year.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
There’s some murkiness about where the recipe originated; both baking brands White Lily and Martha White claim to have pioneered the beloved bread.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murkiness
Noun
-
Along with a looser framing, shadow and contrast highlight loneliness and emotional ambiguity.—
Daron James,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
-
American society—grotesquely unequal and divided, helpless before its demagogic and oligarchic manipulators—is no longer a stranger to the dark ambiguities of lopsided economic progress.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
That intrigue and mysteriousness still rest in the canyon walls today.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Murkiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murkiness. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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