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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscuring
This International Dark Sky Park, located in southwest Texas, is about a six-hour drive from San Antonio, the nearest city, so there won't be much light pollution obscuring your views of the constellations.
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Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Yet this focus on the moment of capture risks obscuring the more consequential lesson.
—Cristina Guevara, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
In her last cash report of 2025, State Controller Malia Cohen warned that recent positive revenues, largely driven by the artificial intelligence sector, may be obscuring a broader, negative fiscal reality for the Golden State.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Astronomers lament that the Quadrantid meteors tend to fall short of expectations due to the comparatively short length of their maximum activity and the obscuring wintry conditions of early January.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Allen Giernet, director of the So Cal Snow Avalanche Center, said the mountain tends to get storms that initially drop rain at high elevations before the rainline drops, the wet ground freezes, and snow falls on top of the ice, obscuring the slippery hazard.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
As tear gas engulfed the crowd, at one point obscuring the ICE building itself, some protesters struggled to breathe inside their costumes.
—Meredith Nierman, NPR, 23 Dec. 2025
Many of the images are heavily redacted, with black boxes obscuring the subjects in them.
—CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
The video screen split into panels that lifted up and down throughout the show, always obscuring a large part of the stage.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscuring
Verb
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Low was fined $106,000 for concealing payments between his tech nonprofit and actor Alec Baldwin.—
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You're required to disclose all assets, income sources and recent financial transactions during the bankruptcy process, and attempting to transfer property to friends or family before filing, concealing income or lying on your bankruptcy petition can have big repercussions.—
Verb
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The almost imperceptible pigment is an immediate boost of pore- and fine line-blurring prowess.—
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Among other things, conservatives accused the consultancy of operating as a multibillion-dollar dark money ATM for left-wing causes, allowing foreign money to flow into American politics, and blurring the lines between charitable work and political advocacy.—
Verb
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The couple — who are now one of the most watched of the season thanks to their double awards show appearances — were not shy about hiding their romance amidst the stars at the 2026 Golden Globes.—
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Laundry Machines Both your washing machine and dryer can be used to stow laundry, as well as other items that need hiding.—
Verb
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Our planet is darkening too, as Earth's reflectivity, or albedo, is dropping to near-record lows due to melting ice and reduced snow cover that expose darker surfaces that absorb even more heat.—
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Farther up, on Observatory Hill, tall cryptomeria trees were silhouetted in the darkening evening, and down in the valleys, lights winked on like reflections of the planets and stars appearing in the sky.—
Verb
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Emma Burleigh is a reporter at Fortune, covering success, careers, entrepreneurship, and personal finance.—
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Bedford said during the news conference that air traffic controllers continuing to work during the shutdown are covering longer hours and more days.—
Verb
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This weekend’s seismic upheaval in member nation Venezuela is the latest in a series of geopolitical pressure points spanning from Russia to Yemen that are also clouding the outlook.—
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Covers resting directly on tabletops can trap moisture against the surface, causing water rings or finish clouding.—
Verb
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These finishes will add depth while disguising imperfections.—
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It’s crouched like a tiger about to spring, cleverly disguising itself as on the verge of a recession so its prey—presumably all the economic experts telling us we’re headed to economic hell in a handbasket—will be caught off-guard.—
Verb
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High-Heat-Safe Alternatives While enameled cast-iron cookware is excellent to use for braising, roasting, baking, or gentle stovetop cooking, certain high heat applications like searing steak or blackening fish are best done in other types of pans, like traditional cast iron or stainless steel.—
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Each footstep sent up clouds of dust and ash, coating everything, including my mouth and teeth, in fine grit, blackening my snot and saliva.—
Cite this Entry
“Obscuring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscuring. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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