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
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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
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3
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
hid in an obscure spot among the trees
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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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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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of obscure
Carissa Chesanek,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
What has changed in recent years, however, is that prediction markets are no longer an obscure pastime enjoyed by political junkies.
—
Matt Motta,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
Sheena McKenzie,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Those themes are compelling on paper, but they’re expressed through a confusing mix of abstraction and hyper-local specificity, hidden beneath biker rock riffs, and obscured through Allbrook’s wiry, wailing vocal delivery.
—
Cassidy Sollazzo,
Pitchfork,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for obscure
Adjective
Even other spirit pairings are not obscure to see on some menus alongside dishes.
—
Carissa Chesanek,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
What has changed in recent years, however, is that prediction markets are no longer an obscure pastime enjoyed by political junkies.
—
Matt Motta,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
Verb
Members of the monarchy wave from carriages, aristocrats don faintly cartoonish top hats and extravagant millinery threatens to obscure the view at every turn.
—
Sheena McKenzie,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Those themes are compelling on paper, but they’re expressed through a confusing mix of abstraction and hyper-local specificity, hidden beneath biker rock riffs, and obscured through Allbrook’s wiry, wailing vocal delivery.
—
Cassidy Sollazzo,
Pitchfork,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for obscure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscure
Adjective
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Vermeule—a former clerk for Scalia—proposes that conservatives should read the Constitution’s ambiguous phrases and general structure in an openly moral way, drawing on principles grounded in the nature and purposes of government.
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Without a unified, clean, and accessible data structure, AI outputs quickly become ambiguous, hallucinated, and diluted, deepening the clarity crisis rather than resolving it.
Adjective
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The Forest Service reports the herd’s origins are unknown, noting it may be linked to mustang drives between Owens Valley and Nevada.
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The international team, led by researchers at Aalto University, combined machine learning with quantum physics calculations to identify two previously unknown superconductors, YRu3B2 and LuRu3B2.
Adjective
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She’s talked up her push to convert darkened streetlights, many of them stripped of their copper wire, to solar power.
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In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.
Adjective
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There’s no reason to think, for example, that decisions made by political appointees based on vague standards would be any more transparent than those made by peer reviewers based on scientific merit.
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American Mission’s partnership with the company, as well as the ads’ vague message about Donalds, exemplify the opaque nature of the AI industry’s spending in the 2026 election cycle.
Verb
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The two allegedly stole incoming cash and concealed the thefts by generating checks and forging the court clerk’s signature.
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But an airline passenger in Indianapolis was caught using a peanut butter jar to conceal something altogether more concerning.
Verb
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As Americans live longer and spend more years managing chronic illness, cognitive decline and complex healthcare needs, the traditional boundaries between estate planning, financial planning and healthcare planning are beginning to blur.
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Coleman, himself a musician, has intentionally blurred the lines between brewing and performance.
Adjective
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His doctors speculated his infection might have been a rare case of cryptic transmission from sharing meals and bathrooms with his coworkers, one of whom apparently had a tapeworm infection.
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The Drama stirred debate on social media over its cryptic marketing campaign that did not directly divulge the main focus of the film.
Adjective
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More than a year later, the origin of the document remains murky.
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By the time the game ended, Sasaki’s three-inning start seemed like a murky nightmare the Dodgers awoke from in a sweat.
Cite this Entry
“Obscure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscure. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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