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
Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
Seeing that marmot offshoot with his twitchy little nose and beady eyes, clutched by an obscure local bureaucrat, conjures hope for the year to come.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Then there’s a period where addiction is obscuring whatever that initial wound is.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscure
Adjective
His late-night attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook—citing obscure allegations of mortgage fraud—has now forced the courts into uncharted territory, testing whether a president can legally purge central bank officials who resist him.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
Seeing that marmot offshoot with his twitchy little nose and beady eyes, clutched by an obscure local bureaucrat, conjures hope for the year to come.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
In the first snap, Justin could be seen making a surprised face as baby Jack partly obscured the camera with his feet in the air.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Then there’s a period where addiction is obscuring whatever that initial wound is.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscure
Adjective
-
The first three episodes currently streaming on Paramount+ reveal that the Tiva dynamic remains as ambiguous as ever.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The term has become both expansive and ambiguous.—
Lauren Buitta,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
When Tony's security company faces an attack from unknown malicious forces, the family goes on the run across Europe while figuring out who is after them, according to Paramount.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
-
At this time, the containment status is unknown and the cause of the fire remains undetermined.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This Earth sign can be quite the perfectionist, preferring order and discernment over anything remotely vague and careless.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Detainees can be held indefinitely without charges, often based on vague suspicion, anonymous tips, or looks alone.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The student allegedly admitted to taking the gun on Sunday while his uncle was in the shower and then bringing it onto the bus concealed in his pocket, according to the affidavit.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
8 Sep. 2025
-
She is charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, the Lexington Police Department said in a news release.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Usually, Meghan has posted photos of their children with their faces blurred out, or in poses where their face is unseen.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Ratti’s brand of optimism has always blurred the line between big data and surveillance, and, as a robotics pioneer, he’s also long gravitated toward the post-human, the dream of a world made and managed by machines.—
Kate Wagner,
Curbed,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
These fish, known for their cryptic behavior, were identified as a neonative species, expanding their range naturally.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Ars reached out to Google for an explanation, receiving a cryptic and somewhat unsatisfying reply.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Gray tones, blacks, murky greens, and of course, the midnight blue complete the look.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
-
But after that, things get murky.—
Sarah Hutter,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Applebee’s recently managed its first quarter of same-store sales growth after eight consecutive declines, a faint improvement, but one that pales in comparison to the surge at Chili’s or the steady gains at Olive Garden.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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This leads to signals that are often faint, easily drowned out by background noise, and difficult to isolate in complex biological environments such as blood or tissue.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obscure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscure. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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