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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscure
Paul Wiseman,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
Basic, an obscure album of oddball electronic rhythms and supremely wobbly guitar released in 1984 by Lou Reed collaborators Robert Quine and Fred Maher.
—
Jason P. Woodbury,
Pitchfork,
22 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
As Fed chair, Greenspan relished poring over obscure economic data, from monthly boxcar loadings to steel production, all in a bid to assess where the economy was headed.
—
Paul Wiseman,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
Basic, an obscure album of oddball electronic rhythms and supremely wobbly guitar released in 1984 by Lou Reed collaborators Robert Quine and Fred Maher.
—
Jason P. Woodbury,
Pitchfork,
22 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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Rubio met with Gulf Arab leaders in Bahrain on Thursday in an effort to assuage their concerns over certain terms of the MOU, including the ambiguous language around the management of the Strait of Hormuz.
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With one, everything the best-performing agent learns is written into a layer for the next—how to handle a difficult customer, which exception patterns resolved cleanly, what an ambiguous edge case meant for the business.
Adjective
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The circumstances surrounding the killings remain unknown.
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Ceremonies at the grave of the unknown soldier of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in Lviv have inflamed tensions with neighboring Poland.
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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Acting on such vague forecasts, like shorting Bitcoin, carries immense risk due to its volatility.
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But the movie never seems to have a grip on its hero’s moral code; despite urging Ruthye not to kill the villain, Kara’s outlook on her own use of lethal force remains frustratingly vague.
Verb
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The defendants and their co-conspirators—which included tax, accounting and financial industry professionals, and law firms—worked to design, implement and defend the tax shelter transactions in ways intended to conceal the true facts and circumstances of the transactions from the IRS.
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One of the defendants, Daniel Sanchez Estrada, was convicted of corruptly concealing a document and conspiracy to conceal documents.
Verb
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Critics argued the required reading list promotes Christianity over religious diversity and civil rights while blurring the constitutional separation of church and state.
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This season's collections blur the lines between swimwear and ready-to-wear, transforming swimsuits into versatile wardrobe staples that transition effortlessly from poolside afternoons to seaside dinners.
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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The details remain murky, but the investment fund would be financed privately and not by US taxpayers, according to the administration.
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For a predator that relies on sight and fast reaction distances in shallow water, murky conditions can alter the entire hunting landscape and prey may become harder to detect.
Cite this Entry
“Obscure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscure. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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