unclear

adjective

un·​clear ˌən-ˈklir 

: not clear: such as

a

: difficult to understand

an unclear explanation

unclear instructions

an unclear reference

b

: confused or uncertain about something

—often used with about

was a little unclear about how to proceed

unclearly adverb

speaking unclearly

an unclearly remembered incident

Synonyms

• fuzzy
• indefinite
• inexplicit
• muzzy
• vague

Examples of unclear in a Sentence

their suggestion for correcting the problem is a bit unclear

obtained at best an unclear glimpse of the rarely seen bird from across the road

Recent Examples on the Web

Whether exemptions will be considered for generic drugs in shortage is unclear. —Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

Brunson’s status is immediately unclear for the second leg of New York’s back-to-back in L.A. against the Clippers on Friday. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025

So, what happened to the long-time couple remains unclear. —Christine Pelisek, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025

In its ruling, the court said the question of jurisdiction was unclear, as there are no provisions in current laws about this issue, and no previous ruling from the Supreme Court. —Gawon Bae, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing unclear

• unclear on the concept of

Rhymes for unclear

• adhere
• ameer
• amir
• appear
• arrear
• astir
• austere
• career
• cashier
• cohere
• compere
• emir