How to Use obscure in a Sentence

obscure

1 of 2 adjective
  • The origins of the language are obscure.
  • The movie is full of obscure references that only pop culture enthusiasts will understand.
  • Even then, though, the path is obscure.
    — Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Yeah, that’s a rather obscure one.
    — Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2025
  • But don’t let the cyclical noise obscure the long-term trend.
    — Jackson Fordyce, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2023
  • The sound bath scene, which was once seen as obscure, has since blossomed.
    — Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Along the way the sudden sharp turns obscure many of the ride’s lighter drops.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2023
  • These are not obscure adult problems.
    — Gerald Bradshaw, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The next year will be a blitz of actions under obscure laws.
    — Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
  • There was one tape that was very obscure and was never released.
    — Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Why not start a record label to share obscure music from across the globe?
    — Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE.com, 9 Mar. 2018
  • The bodycam footage of the foot-chase is too obscure to make out these actions.
    — Emily Wilder, The Arizona Republic, 26 Nov. 2020
  • But just to get in so many of those inside jokes — and the more obscure the better.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
  • It was even rumored that the then-obscure actor didn't know how to drive a stick.
    — Clark Collis, EW.com, 5 Oct. 2021
  • Modernism often shines on its more obscure tracks.
    — David Harris, SPIN, 22 June 2026
  • These bets range from the mundane, like which team will score first, to the highly obscure.
    — Grayson Quay, The Week, 14 Feb. 2022
  • Whole, ground, common, obscure, hailing from all over the world.
    — Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2020
  • What obscure motive lay behind this one?
    — Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
  • And then there are the barriers posed by any number of obscure trade rules.
    — Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 9 July 2020
  • Rock has become a very obscure kind of label to call something.
    — Pino Gagliardi, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Nov. 2023
  • Sanchez has a habit of tying or beating records set by obscure players.
    — Jeremy Fuchs, SI.com, 25 June 2017
  • The thing about obscure and weird horror is that there’s no practical end to it.
    — Glenn Kenny, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2017
  • But as its more obscure provisions come to light, the line of attack may change.
    — Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021
  • When something is this complex and obscure, the best approach is to watch and wait.
    — Drew Pendergrass, Harper's Magazine, 25 May 2020
  • There was more obscurity in the old days, more obscure words.
    — Liz Maynes-Aminzade, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2023
  • Mediums like water and glass obscure the passthrough of light over a long enough distance.
    — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 8 Nov. 2022
  • Perhaps the most obscure song on this list, this is a fantastic song to clean the garage to.
    — Ryan D'agostino, Popular Mechanics, 20 Nov. 2018
  • So far as the extant record shows, Aswell’s reasons were obscure.
    — Colin Asher, The New Republic, 19 Apr. 2021
  • But learning this obscure winter sport in, like, a couple days?
    — Author: Sarah Larimer, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Feb. 2018
  • Either way, clues to Lisa’s whereabouts prove just as obscure.
    — Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2025

obscure

2 of 2 verb
  • They accused the company of trying to obscure the fact that the product poses a health risk.
  • The true history has been obscured by legends about what happened.
  • The video is obscured at that point.
    — Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
  • The bill of his ball cap obscured his gaze.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
  • But clouds obscured the view over Mirny.
    — Ryan French, Space.com, 20 Apr. 2026
  • But don’t let that obscure the good news, which was about more than one month.
    — Alan S. Blinder, WSJ, 24 Nov. 2022
  • His face was obscured by glasses and a dust mask.
    — James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Coats came sleeveless or had long arms that obscured the hands.
    — Thomas Adamson, The Seattle Times, 22 June 2017
  • But short-term gains can obscure long-term losses.
    — Joseph Epstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
  • For the next few minutes, the tree obscures at least one of the men.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Oct. 2025
  • In games, the helmet obscures the scar.
    — Zach Berman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
  • There is good all around us, even in times when bad tries to swirl in and obscure our view.
    — Rex Huppke, chicagotribune.com, 22 Dec. 2021
  • Black men also shot out the street lights to obscure the view of white snipers.
    — Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, The New Yorker, 24 June 2021
  • The suspect’s eyes are drawn as black and beady, and his left ear is obscured.
    — Jonathan Sperling, NBC News, 9 Feb. 2018
  • The shoes appeared to have high block heels that were obscured by her wide-legged jeans.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
  • Staffers found her in a bedroom that had been obscured by rubble.
    — Maria Carter, Country Living, 12 Oct. 2017
  • Thus, only part of the sun will be obscured during the eclipse.
    — Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024
  • Last year’s joy ride obscures how good these Red Sox still can be.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 27 July 2019
  • And choose a viewing night with clear weather, as clouds can obscure the show.
    — Stephanie Vermillion, Outside, 18 Feb. 2026
  • The result of this was that the view of the ball was often obscured when shots went up.
    — Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
  • All of this means that sometimes a hive or nest is obscured instead of out in the open.
    — Korin Miller, SELF, 10 Oct. 2018
  • That means there will be almost no glare from moonlight to obscure your view of the stars.
    — National Geographic, 20 Oct. 2017
  • Her face is obscured in the version produced.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
  • The figure could be seen dragging a foot across the way to obscure the tracks of the cart.
    — Tim Prudente, baltimoresun.com, 23 Sep. 2021
  • In the video, the car is slathered in mud and obscured by the cloudy green water, its trunk popped open.
    — Steve Annear, BostonGlobe.com, 9 July 2018
  • The sun will be obscured by the moon, turning day into night for a brief time at its peak.
    — Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024
  • The sun is often obscured and overshadowed by the trunk of a tree.
    — Pelican Bomb, NOLA.com, 12 Dec. 2017
  • The comet will be obscured by the Sun at its closest approach.
    — Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
  • What, then, is being obscured—beyond the view?
    — Erika Landström, Artforum, 2 June 2026
  • Start with a distinction that scale obscures.
    — Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'obscure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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