1
as in blunt
lacking sharpness of edge or point
obtuse scissors designed so that young users will not cut themselves
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
forgive me for being obtuse, but I wish you'd explain that to me again
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obtuse
And suggesting that Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed should be on a Ryder Cup team in 2025 is both willfully obtuse and indicative of a person looking back, not forward.
—
Hugh Kellenberger, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Looking to boost Hispanic voter engagement, in the spring of the election year, Obama ignored Congress and took a constitutionally obtuse executive action shielding immigrants who came to the United States illegally as minors from deportation.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 19 Aug. 2025
Nevala-Lee’s previous biography was on Buckminster Fuller, architect, futurist, longtime professor at Southern Illinois University, but also an infamously obtuse, inscrutable mansplainer’s mansplainer — his lectures seemed to go on for days.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Instead, the show morphed into a thudding retread of SATC with weaker, more diluted storytelling/joke-telling and an obtuse obsession with flaunting its characters’ seemingly infinite riches.
—Robyn Bahr, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for obtuse
Hugh Kellenberger, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Looking to boost Hispanic voter engagement, in the spring of the election year, Obama ignored Congress and took a constitutionally obtuse executive action shielding immigrants who came to the United States illegally as minors from deportation.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 19 Aug. 2025
Nevala-Lee’s previous biography was on Buckminster Fuller, architect, futurist, longtime professor at Southern Illinois University, but also an infamously obtuse, inscrutable mansplainer’s mansplainer — his lectures seemed to go on for days.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Instead, the show morphed into a thudding retread of SATC with weaker, more diluted storytelling/joke-telling and an obtuse obsession with flaunting its characters’ seemingly infinite riches.
—Robyn Bahr, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for obtuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtuse
Adjective
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Take inspiration from Love Story’s Sarah Pidgeon and ask your hairdresser for soft, invisible layers, which create the illusion of a blunt cut while still adding movement and texture around the cheek, jaw, and collarbones.—
Ranyechi Udemezue,
Vogue,
12 June 2026
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The deputy sheriff also said that Cortavious and Cortavion had marijuana in the car, stating that Yates could see a blunt inside.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
For a few hours, there's no doom and gloom on the news, no family drama, no Slack notifications, no people fighting about dumb stuff on social media.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
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That there are actually people trying to turn this guy – the name is Brendan Sorsby — into some kind of victim is just as dumb as that injunction.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
The results have been impressive enough from far away, but examined more closely as a blunted, external force, Big Brother has almost always been too literal in horror cinema.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
-
Orientation matters; garlic is planted vertically, with the root (blunted) end of the clove facing down, and the sprout (pointy) end facing up.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Fans wear their favorite players’ name, beg for their autograph and spend stupid amounts of money just to be in their proximity.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Not every bee was successful, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s such a thing as a stupid bumblebee, Loukola says.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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Dems slow to embrace data center resistance McMillan Cottom suggested that no public officials on the right or the left have perfected their messaging to align with anti-data center sentiments.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
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Eating a donut earlier in the day is easier on your body than eating it at night when insulin sensitivity and metabolism slow.—
Brandi Jones,
Verywell Health,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
My wife goes into the kitchen and returns with beer, fruit, and a few simple dishes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The measure needs a simple majority to win.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Whisk it in until the dressing is rich, thick, and emulsified, which takes less than a minute.—
Victoria Spencer,
Martha Stewart,
13 June 2026
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With adjustable straps, a thick elastic band, empire waist, and a ruffle trim, this Grace Karin maxi will become the most versatile dress in your closet.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2026
Adjective
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Whether Tuchel will, in fact, be able to produce a more intense high-pressing style this summer, given the climate and the dense schedule, is another matter.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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Visitors of historic New Castle are greeted with cobblestone streets, alleys, dense urbanism and a rich history that can only be found in a few other cities in the region.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obtuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obtuse. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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