Synonyms of obfuscate

obfuscate

verb

ˈäb-fə-ˌskāt 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• confuse
• complicate
• blur
• disrupt
• becloud
• muddy
• cloud
• fog
• befog
• perplex
• upset
• snarl
• muddle
• entangle
• scramble
• tangle
• disarrange
• disarray
• shuffle
• disturb
• mix (up)
• sophisticate
• disorder
• jumble
• discompose
• tousle
• dishevel
• mess (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• clarify
• simplify
• illuminate
• clear (up)
• streamline
• unravel
• analyze
• disentangle
• undo
• straighten (out)
• decipher
• decode
• untangle
• break down
• unscramble

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of obfuscate

The president obfuscates or lies; the press contradicts him; the Pentagon’s own investigators find against him; senators of both parties demand answers; and the polls turn against the war. — Bobby Ghosh, Time, 27 May 2026

Or the framing of questions is done in a way to obfuscate that the real problem has been the movement of wealth from the lower end of the economic spectrum to the very top. — Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 20 May 2026

From here, things get hazy because the details are missing—or at least highly obfuscated. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026

But those circumstances are rarely enough to obfuscate the group’s legacy and relevance or stifle individual success. — Deasia Paige, AJC.com, 16 Apr. 2026

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