1
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
a fantasy writer who likes to put lots of obscure references and images in her tales of wizards and warlocks
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unknown
not widely known
he's an obscure artist now, but he's sure to be famous someday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
hid in an obscure spot among the trees
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly
a distinction so obscure that only the experts can really see it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to conceal
to keep secret or shut off from view
the investigative reporters obscured their real motives for visiting the company by pretending the story was about something else
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2
as in to blur
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
when it isn't obscured by smog, the view of the city from the observatory can be spectacular
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscure
Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 8 July 2025
More toward the rowdy end are the closet-sized bars of Shinjuku’s Golden Gai, a warren of grungy alleys home to snug drinking holes with obscure themes and idiosyncratic bartender-owners.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2025
Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
According to Mansfield's obituary in the Times, Harrison couldn’t see the truck because it was obscured by a thick cloud of mosquito spray.
—Julie Tremaine, People.com, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscure
Adjective
Comic fans will delight in the number of Easter eggs and obscure characters, such as Metamorpho, but casual viewers might find the sheer number of characters with little in the way of backstory to be confusing.
—Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 8 July 2025
More toward the rowdy end are the closet-sized bars of Shinjuku’s Golden Gai, a warren of grungy alleys home to snug drinking holes with obscure themes and idiosyncratic bartender-owners.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2025
Verb
Solar flares and solar wind can disrupt Earth's atmosphere, creating disturbances that could obscure the comets and make the meteor showers harder to see.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
According to Mansfield's obituary in the Times, Harrison couldn’t see the truck because it was obscured by a thick cloud of mosquito spray.
—Julie Tremaine, People.com, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscure
Adjective
-
Emojis in texts: More than just fun, a tool for connection While emojis can sometimes be ambiguous or misunderstood, especially in sarcastic or complex conversations, their overall impact is positive.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
-
In fact, she was designed to be ethnically ambiguous for that reason, suggested Carlos Cortés, professor emeritus in history at UC Riverside, who consulted the creative team.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
The proposal includes an unknown number of layoffs and substantial spending cuts, including about $25 million from the Parks department and slashing about $40 million from county nonprofit grants, according to the sources briefed on the plan.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
-
According to Apple, Call Screening automatically answers unknown callers without interrupting you.—
Kate O'Flaherty,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Stories come to life only through concrete, sensory details, but my father only spoke in vague and abstract terms.—
Margot Singer
July 9,
Literary Hub,
9 July 2025
-
Though vague, Galvin said case law suggests reasonable means that the rules are consistent with the culture and character of the type of community.—
Nora O’Neill
July 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
Speculation online has included allegations that the federal government was concealing information to shield powerful and prominent figures who were allegedly named in case records.—
Scott MacFarlane,
CBS News,
11 July 2025
-
Meanwhile, her makeup turned more matte with concealed under eyes like at The Blonds Fall 2014 show.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
As tokenized investing becomes a tangible reality for millions, the lines between centralized brokerages and decentralized protocols are blurring—setting a high bar for the next generation of financial platforms.—
Sandy Carter,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Kurt’s key takeaways Meta’s decision to turn chatbot prompts into social content has blurred the line between private and public in a way that catches many users off guard.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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On Thursday, Bloom shared a series of cryptic quotes from Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist Carl Jung on Instagram.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
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The team also discovered two more new species: the cryptic Namib day gecko and the miniature Namib day gecko.—
Aspen Pflughoeft
July 3,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Her eyes were murky green and always cast upward and to the left.—
Ottessa Moshfegh,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
-
Rules and regulations regarding international flight cancellations are a little murky.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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That memory, faint but enduring, was set in the downstairs den of their home.—
Ajdina Halilovic,
Wired News,
6 July 2025
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Until then, there is a faint hope that tardigrades survive — though likely not living it up — on the moon.—
Joshua Rapp Learn,
Discover Magazine,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obscure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscure. Accessed 17 Jul. 2025.
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