as in confuses
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
irrelevant matters that only serve to obfuscate the fundamental issue of guilt or innocence
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Recent Examples of obfuscates
His bad-boy swagger externally obfuscates his heart of gold, but his goodness and morality are apparent.
—
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
The president obfuscates or lies; the press contradicts him; the Pentagon’s own investigators find against him; senators of both parties demand answers; and the polls turn against the war.
—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
27 May 2026
Director Antonio Campos shoots this exchange in the shadows, a choice that only obfuscates this pivotal moment further.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
14 Nov. 2025
Local students tend to know about the province’s nationalistic perspective, due to their high school curriculum, but this deliberately (and understandably) obfuscates the larger Canadian picture to try to foster a firmer attachment to Quebec’s language and culture.
—
Dónal Gill,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Gating much of that control behind certain subscription tiers further obfuscates what’s possible.
—
PC Magazine,
2 Sep. 2025
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
The president obfuscates or lies; the press contradicts him; the Pentagon’s own investigators find against him; senators of both parties demand answers; and the polls turn against the war.
—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
27 May 2026
Director Antonio Campos shoots this exchange in the shadows, a choice that only obfuscates this pivotal moment further.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
14 Nov. 2025
Local students tend to know about the province’s nationalistic perspective, due to their high school curriculum, but this deliberately (and understandably) obfuscates the larger Canadian picture to try to foster a firmer attachment to Quebec’s language and culture.
—
Dónal Gill,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Gating much of that control behind certain subscription tiers further obfuscates what’s possible.
—
PC Magazine,
2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obfuscates
Verb
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These opportunists drown out the core mission, creating a cacophony of competing voices that confuses donors, crowd the inboxes of CEOs and members of Congress with colliding petitions, and paralyzes meaningful action by draining critical funding and attention away from the truly effective groups.
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But nobody confuses Harvard Extension School classes with the real thing.
Verb
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Critics say the reading list lacks diversity, blurs the separation of church and state that is enshrined in the Constitution and leaves teachers and students with little room to decide what to read.
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As the line blurs, sometimes exes remain in your life, and friends might become lovers.
Cite this Entry
“Obfuscates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obfuscates. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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