Synonyms of obfuscate

obfuscate

verb

ˈäb-fə-ˌskāt 

as in to confuse

to make (something) unclear to the understanding

irrelevant matters that only serve to obfuscate the fundamental issue of guilt or innocence

Synonyms & Similar Words

• confuse
• complicate
• blur
• disrupt
• becloud
• muddy
• cloud
• fog
• befog
• perplex
• upset
• snarl
• muddle
• entangle
• scramble
• tangle
• disarrange
• disarray
• shuffle
• disturb
• mix (up)
• sophisticate
• disorder
• jumble
• discompose
• tousle
• dishevel
• mess (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• clarify
• simplify
• illuminate
• clear (up)
• streamline
• unravel
• analyze
• disentangle
• undo
• straighten (out)
• decipher
• decode
• untangle
• break down
• unscramble

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of obfuscate

Easy to dupe the electorate, to greenwash, to spin, to obfuscate, and to sell the politics of greed. —Christine Winter, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025

Asked to provide examples of municipalities that have done such a thing, city officials obfuscated and waffled. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025

Putin has been obfuscating how weak the Russian economy is by hiding and fudging the numbers. —Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 23 Jan. 2025

While the deluge of lawsuits challenging Mr. Musk’s authority has at times provided some clarity, many of the filings appear to obfuscate basic details about the larger goals at play and the people responsible for carrying them out. —Zach Montague, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!