as in to confuse
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
irrelevant matters that only serve to obfuscate the fundamental issue of guilt or innocence
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Recent Examples of obfuscate
Every moment of euphoria is obfuscated by distortion, every pop impulse is undercut by squealing dissonance.
—
Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 18 Mar. 2026
At points, smoke obfuscated everyone on stage except for Reznor — who didn’t speak to the crowd except to introduce the touring band.
—Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2026
To say otherwise is simply to distract and obfuscate.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
The renderings, which showed an imposing new East Wing roughly a city block long, would be longer than the West Wing and almost completely obfuscating the view of the Treasury Building from the White House's South Lawn.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obfuscate
Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 18 Mar. 2026
At points, smoke obfuscated everyone on stage except for Reznor — who didn’t speak to the crowd except to introduce the touring band.
—Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2026
To say otherwise is simply to distract and obfuscate.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
The renderings, which showed an imposing new East Wing roughly a city block long, would be longer than the West Wing and almost completely obfuscating the view of the Treasury Building from the White House's South Lawn.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obfuscate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obfuscate
confuse
Verb
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The red, purple or sometimes gold root vegetable — not to be confused with its white cousin, the sugar beet — is low-calorie and packed with nutrients and compounds linked to benefits, ranging from brain health to athletic performance.—
Teresa Mull,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
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Companion plants with strong odors are used to confuse pests or mask the scent of crops so insect pests cannot find them.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obfuscate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obfuscate. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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