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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscurity
But in the months leading up to Tuesday’s election, Mamdani skyrocketed from obscurity to internet fame, amassing more than 1 million followers on Instagram, as well as hundreds of thousands on TikTok and X.
—
Angela Yang, NBC news, 26 June 2025
Now Ada is in charge of the purse strings and Agnes fears her own obscurity and irrelevance.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 23 June 2025
That drags out decisions, drives up costs, and pushes even strong products into obscurity.
—Jaime Catmull, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Insurers profit from obscurity – networks that shift, formularies that confuse, billing codes that few can decipher.
—Zachary W. Schulz, The Conversation, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscurity
Angela Yang, NBC news, 26 June 2025
Now Ada is in charge of the purse strings and Agnes fears her own obscurity and irrelevance.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 23 June 2025
That drags out decisions, drives up costs, and pushes even strong products into obscurity.
—Jaime Catmull, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Insurers profit from obscurity – networks that shift, formularies that confuse, billing codes that few can decipher.
—Zachary W. Schulz, The Conversation, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscurity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscurity
Noun
-
Young people lack experience with the awkward pauses of conversation, the ambiguity of social cues, and the grit required to make up with a hurt or angry friend.—
Russell Shaw,
The Atlantic,
11 July 2025
-
Poker Face has played fast and loose with how Charlie’s gift actually works, an intentional ambiguity that only gets more complicated with the reveal that actually, yeah, Charlie can be lied to.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
The Movie features Brad Pitt as a fallen Formula One star who upshifts back from career oblivion and personal wreckage to the pinnacle of racing.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
-
However, the most promising of these, a mission named OSIRIS-Apex that breathes new life into an old spacecraft that otherwise would drift into oblivion, is slated for cancellation by the Trump White House's budget for fiscal year 2026.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Yet this silence only ensures that the aid continues to empower the very actors responsible for mass suffering.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
-
What looks like profundity might be vacancy, dressed in good tailoring and received in silence.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
The Sun Sentinel put those questions to a long-time NBA scout, who requested anonymity because of his work with another team.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
11 July 2025
-
The source requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press and feared retaliation from the Trump administration.—
Jenna McLaughlin,
NPR,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obscurity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscurity. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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