1
as in concealing
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blurring
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
when it isn't obscured by smog, the view of the city from the observatory can be spectacular
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscuring
The irony is a bit hard to ignore — the very environment being modified to protect or maintain beaches was simultaneously obscuring the ecological processes happening just offshore.
—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
And what’s a novelist but a fence, furnishing imaginary scenes with choice pieces of reality while obscuring their provenance?
—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Oversized Sunglasses Last but not least, after years of tiny sunglasses reigning supreme, oversized, face-obscuring frames are in vogue again.
—
Jordan Julian,
InStyle,
22 June 2026
When rolling up Vin Scully Avenue, a white smoke hung like a curtain behind the small hills on the other side of outfield walls, obscuring the normally scenic view of the San Gabriel Mountains.
—
Liana Handler,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Because the chignon is positioned low and slightly to the side, the wearable piece of art can rest securely above it without obscuring any of the intricate hairstyling efforts underneath.
—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
17 June 2026
Da Messina’s Annunciation famously excises the angel Gabriel, while Ghirri’s version further edits the event by also obscuring the Virgin herself.
—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Acoustics specialists crafted special sound and lighting apparatus that would capture the sound correctly without obscuring the ceiling.
—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2026
The event has been criticized as promoting Christian nationalism and obscuring the lines separating church and state.
—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
17 May 2026
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
And what’s a novelist but a fence, furnishing imaginary scenes with choice pieces of reality while obscuring their provenance?
—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Oversized Sunglasses Last but not least, after years of tiny sunglasses reigning supreme, oversized, face-obscuring frames are in vogue again.
—
Jordan Julian,
InStyle,
22 June 2026
When rolling up Vin Scully Avenue, a white smoke hung like a curtain behind the small hills on the other side of outfield walls, obscuring the normally scenic view of the San Gabriel Mountains.
—
Liana Handler,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Because the chignon is positioned low and slightly to the side, the wearable piece of art can rest securely above it without obscuring any of the intricate hairstyling efforts underneath.
—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
17 June 2026
Da Messina’s Annunciation famously excises the angel Gabriel, while Ghirri’s version further edits the event by also obscuring the Virgin herself.
—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Acoustics specialists crafted special sound and lighting apparatus that would capture the sound correctly without obscuring the ceiling.
—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2026
The event has been criticized as promoting Christian nationalism and obscuring the lines separating church and state.
—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
17 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscuring
Verb
-
An advocacy group trying to investigate DOGE’s influence on the Federal Communications Commission accused the FCC of failing to comply with a public records request and of concealing Chairman Brendan Carr’s use of the Signal messaging service.
-
Trees tower over the cemetery, and branches stretch across the fence, concealing the entrance from passersby.
Verb
-
Waves act like moving lenses, warping light and blurring underwater objects.
-
These makers are much more reticent about the risks of blurring the once fine line between browsing sites and asking a large language model a question or instructing it to take potentially sensitive actions.
Verb
-
The country’s singular role in hiding Jews from their Nazi occupiers is well documented.
-
The anti-Trump rage, the surge of younger, more educated progressive voters, the hunger for someone willing to fight on affordability with policy, message, and tone, in Albany and Washington — all of it was hiding in plain sight for anyone looking at the data rather than the tired, old playbook.
Verb
-
Auto-correct tools generally brighten photos, but this one also knows when an image needs darkening.
-
Moonrise will take place across North America in blue hour, when the sky is darkening but still retains color — perfect timing.
Verb
-
Robbie Ray threw six efficient innings after regrouping from a fall while covering first base, Willy Adames hit a two-run double as part of a four-run opening frame and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 6-4 on Saturday night.
-
Maybe Bill Plaschke would be aware of that, and give due credit, if his hometown major newspaper bothered to have a dedicated correspondent covering one of the city’s NBA teams.
Verb
-
However, a lack of diversity in thought was clouding every step forward.
-
Are foggy relationships clouding your goals and ambitions?
Verb
-
But some users find clever ways to sidestep those controls, by disguising sensitive requests as role-playing games, poems or pictures, with many swapping tips and ideas online.
-
For a Black man to reinforce those same stereotypes, while disguising them as objective commentary, is even more damaging.
Verb
-
And Hanceville’s fate is as murky as the fog that pours in at night, blotting out buildings and blackening the road ahead.
-
These tungsten atoms would then condense on the slightly cooler inside of the glass bulb, blackening it and dimming the light over time.
Cite this Entry
“Obscuring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscuring. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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