1
as in to confuse
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
the professor's convoluted explanation only befogged the textbook's presentation of this scientific principle
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
the morning murk befogged our view of the harbor
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
completely befogged by the sudden change of subject
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of befog
But the Taycan's launch control hits harder than the Model S's, smacking us with 1.3 g's of initial acceleration long enough to befog our noggin.
—
Dave Vanderwerp, Car and Driver, 7 Feb. 2020
This is the point where accidentally interacting with passerby distracted by their smartphones, their attention equally befogged by another kind of augmented reality, could result in a very bad ending.
—Matt Peckham, Time, 23 June 2017
The detective blames Nichols, the self-aggrandizing adviser who convinced the Cabazons to build a casino, for conjuring the intrigue that continued to befog the case long after his death.
—Andrew Rice, WIRED, 4 Feb. 2011
Dave Vanderwerp, Car and Driver, 7 Feb. 2020
This is the point where accidentally interacting with passerby distracted by their smartphones, their attention equally befogged by another kind of augmented reality, could result in a very bad ending.
—Matt Peckham, Time, 23 June 2017
The detective blames Nichols, the self-aggrandizing adviser who convinced the Cabazons to build a casino, for conjuring the intrigue that continued to befog the case long after his death.
—Andrew Rice, WIRED, 4 Feb. 2011
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befog
Verb
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The employee recounted how the customer, seemingly annoyed, gestured under his chin in a manner that initially confused her.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 2025
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Activists on college campuses have confused the ability to occupy and disrupt physical space for the right to dissent verbally.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But failure to directly deny allegations of fascism is a common strategy used by far-right and radical conservative movements seeking to obscure deeper links to extremist groups to avoid public backlash.—
Matthew Kriner,
The Conversation,
3 Feb. 2025
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At kick-off time, the pitch was obscured by smoke, the result of dozens of flares let off in the Tribune Est of the Stade de Roudourou.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
The Athletic,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Internet users were obsessed yet bewildered with the unique positioning.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
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But Judge was the only one who wasn’t bewildered by the move.—
Chris Kirschner,
The Athletic,
14 Aug. 2024
Verb
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But instead of sounding the alarm, defendants went out of their way to becloud the emerging scientific consensus.—
Edward Fitzpatrick,
BostonGlobe.com,
7 Aug. 2019
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His flacks and surrogates hand out scraps of information grudgingly, infrequently, and beclouded by fragrant eructations of doublespeak.—
Charles Seife,
Slate Magazine,
1 Mar. 2017
Verb
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Some smart glasses are as simple as electrochromic (automatically darkening) sunglasses.—
Simon Hill,
WIRED,
29 Jan. 2025
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Add tomato paste; cook, stirring often, until darkened in color, about 3 minutes.—
Craig Ruff,
Southern Living,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Late last year, Home Alone director Chris Columbus weighed in on a question that had perplexed viewers of the iconic 1990 film for decades: just what did the McCallisters do for work in order to afford that house?—
Virginia Chamlee,
People.com,
31 Jan. 2025
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Some users on TikTok were perplexed and unaware of the blunder, while others could relate to the poster's frustration.—
Barbara A. Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Jan. 2025
Verb
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California’s reported property crime rate in 2023 was 0.3% below 2019 levels, but with the 2023 national rate at which individuals report property crimes against them down 14.4% compared to 2019, real property crime in California is likely up but obfuscated by lower reporting rates.—
Kenneth Schrupp | The Center Square,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
8 Feb. 2025
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But if the goal of censorship is the control and regulation of important information or ideas, then an anti-censorship trend that purposefully obfuscates its own message isn’t clever.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Daigle, 33, has cultivated a decade-long career blurring the lines between Christian and pop music.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA TODAY,
7 Feb. 2025
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This is especially true with Venus conjunct Neptune in Pisces illuminating your seventh house of relationships and significant others because in addition to emphasizing your romantic ideals and dreams, this mystical synergy could blur the lines between fantasy and reality.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
7 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near befog
Cite this Entry
“Befog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befog. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
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