1
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
a fantasy writer who likes to put lots of obscure references and images in her tales of wizards and warlocks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unknown
not widely known
he's an obscure artist now, but he's sure to be famous someday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
hid in an obscure spot among the trees
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4
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly
a distinction so obscure that only the experts can really see it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to conceal
to keep secret or shut off from view
the investigative reporters obscured their real motives for visiting the company by pretending the story was about something else
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2
as in to blur
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
when it isn't obscured by smog, the view of the city from the observatory can be spectacular
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscure
Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026
Coltrane was an obscure journeyman when Davis, who’d already played a key role in several evolutionary jazz leaps, hired him in 1955 to join his quintet.
—Andrew Gilbert, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Mar. 2026
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 2026
There is no code prohibiting masks or obscuring costumes at protests in Wisconsin.
—Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obscure
Adjective
His appetite for complexity was increasingly indulged as a means of branding cities and institutions, and his novel forms were deployed as blunt metaphors to absorb and obscure contradictions rather than negotiate them in material and spatial terms.
—Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026
Coltrane was an obscure journeyman when Davis, who’d already played a key role in several evolutionary jazz leaps, hired him in 1955 to join his quintet.
—Andrew Gilbert, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
Across 180 trials, the drone achieved a reported success rate ranging from 72 percent to 100 percent, demonstrating its ability to maneuver through cluttered and visually obscured environments.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 2026
There is no code prohibiting masks or obscuring costumes at protests in Wisconsin.
—Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obscure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscure
Adjective
-
Event-betting markets flourish in ambiguous or unevenly-enforced legal environments.—
Kelli María Korducki,
thehustle.co,
3 Apr. 2026
-
War is about politics—and therefore, objectives, which are particularly political, are often ambiguous and subject to change.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But with game preservation increasingly becoming an important aspect in the industry, Defender seems to be a fading memory for older players, as well as an unknown game for younger ones.—
Daryl Baxter,
Space.com,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The Mercedes-Benz driver, a 27-year-old man, was taken to a hospital with unknown injuries.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
As scientists often find darkened teeth in ancient burials, other factors can contribute to a black appearance, notably the chewing of betel leaves.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Nor is this some vague or emotional objection.—
Kelsey Maurine Brickl,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
-
With such a sheer volume of work coming out, the anime market can get crowded, and its easy for these works to bleed together into a vague blob of gag comedies, action-adventure shows, and sickly-sweet romances.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Two pumps of product managed to do the trick for my full face, and suddenly my hyperpigmentation on my cheek was concealed.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Shoplifting more than $100 by concealing merchandise.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nowadays, the two positions blur together, but his father, Troy, and Harvard-Westlake coach David Rebibo insisted his aspirations were to be on the ball.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Winter clouds and sleet blurred everything together, but as my eyes adjusted, what seemed dull grew more distinctive.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Investigators later linked the device to materials recovered from Zheng’s home and a burner phone used to place a cryptic 911 call warning about the bomb.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The news arrives after months of Rodrigo teasing new music, most recently a cryptic hotline message that alluded to this year’s pink moon, which occurred on April 2.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
How Georgians will vote in the midterms this year is still murky.—
Caleb Groves,
AJC.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Now, two weeks since the first storm hit, the ocean water is still murky due to runoff that carries harmful pathogens and chemicals from sewage systems, animal feces and industrial facilities.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obscure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscure. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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