1
as in ambiguity
the quality or state of having a veiled or uncertain meaning
the 16th-century astrologer's predictions are so filled with obscurity that people can interpret them any way they want
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in oblivion
the quality or state of being mostly or completely unknown
the singer languished in relative obscurity for years before becoming famous
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mysteriousness
the quality or state of being impossible to know, understand, or explain
her novels were favored by gullible critics who confuse obscurity with profundity
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscurity
In the era of the internet, the circuitous, often murky, nature of art and inspiration plays out in a collective conversation that benefits from a degree of obscurity.
—
Hali Bey Ramdene, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
His sister’s rationale for sticking with Malassezia was that the name’s obscurity would shield it from scrutiny.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 26 May 2025
Less visible are the civil rights struggles its Asian American community fought to attain.
State of play: Though figures like Wong Kim Ark have received more attention in recent years, there are still a plethora who remain in obscurity.
—Shawna Chen, Axios, 22 May 2025
Souter's very obscurity became the deciding factor in his favor, in addition to his state judicial experience and impeccable academic credentials—Harvard undergraduate (Phi Beta Kappa) and law degrees, along with one from Oxford, earned as a Rhodes Scholar.
—Barbara A. Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscurity
Hali Bey Ramdene, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
His sister’s rationale for sticking with Malassezia was that the name’s obscurity would shield it from scrutiny.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 26 May 2025
Less visible are the civil rights struggles its Asian American community fought to attain.
State of play: Though figures like Wong Kim Ark have received more attention in recent years, there are still a plethora who remain in obscurity.
—Shawna Chen, Axios, 22 May 2025
Souter's very obscurity became the deciding factor in his favor, in addition to his state judicial experience and impeccable academic credentials—Harvard undergraduate (Phi Beta Kappa) and law degrees, along with one from Oxford, earned as a Rhodes Scholar.
—Barbara A. Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscurity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscurity
Noun
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Leading in ongoing ambiguity demands emotional endurance, narrative agility and the strength to stay grounded while evolving at speed.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
Director Flanagan handles the escalating insanity with suggestive ambiguity, nothing too bombastic for as long as the story allows.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2025
Noun
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The sterile flies proceeded to, well, screw the continent’s wild populations into oblivion, and in 2006, an invisible barrier was established at the Darién Gap, the jungle that straddles the Panama-Colombia border, to cordon the screwworm-free north off from the south.—
Sarah Zhang,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2025
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Even one of these incidents could have been enough to break a player and send him off into oblivion.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
22 May 2025
Noun
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The president announced the surprise call after days of silence following a series of drone attacks Ukraine launched against Russian airfields in Serbia on Sunday.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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On Friday, Swift announced her ownership of the master recordings after months of social media silence.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Also of note: The Beavers don’t have much NIL money compared to other top-10 programs, according to multiple sources inside and outside the program who spoke on the condition of anonymity.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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Defense officials traveling with Hegseth, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media, called the absence of a higher-level Chinese delegation an opportunity for the U.S. to make inroads.—
David Rising,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obscurity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscurity. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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