1
as in ambiguity
the quality or state of having a veiled or uncertain meaning
the 16th-century astrologer's predictions are so filled with obscurity that people can interpret them any way they want
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2
as in oblivion
the quality or state of being mostly or completely unknown
the singer languished in relative obscurity for years before becoming famous
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3
as in mysteriousness
the quality or state of being impossible to know, understand, or explain
her novels were favored by gullible critics who confuse obscurity with profundity
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscurity
Monica Barbaro The year’s other big discovery, who catapulted from obscurity to arguably the people’s favorite in Supporting Actress.
—
Nate Jones, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2025
Sure, some hitters come out of relative fantasy obscurity and become fantasy stars, but not nearly as often as pitchers.
—Michael Salfino, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Despite the company’s relative obscurity, independent evaluations suggest that its products already rival those of industry leaders like OpenAI, Google and Anthropic.
—Robert Pearl, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
The president’s deep skepticism prompted him to pass over the more obvious choices to replace General Brown and to pluck General Caine from relative obscurity.
—Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscurity
Nate Jones, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2025
Sure, some hitters come out of relative fantasy obscurity and become fantasy stars, but not nearly as often as pitchers.
—Michael Salfino, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Despite the company’s relative obscurity, independent evaluations suggest that its products already rival those of industry leaders like OpenAI, Google and Anthropic.
—Robert Pearl, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
The president’s deep skepticism prompted him to pass over the more obvious choices to replace General Brown and to pluck General Caine from relative obscurity.
—Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscurity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscurity
Noun
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Organizations can train their systems to tolerate more ambiguity, metabolize more change, and rebound more quickly.—
Scott Hutcheson,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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There’s no ambiguity, no pretense, just a lunch pail and a hard hat.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But for Trump’s election victory and unprecedented threats to make Canada the 51st state, Carney would probably still be a private citizen and the Liberals would be heading for oblivion.—
Stephen Collinson,
CNN,
15 Mar. 2025
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In 2025, business success will be determined by those who master the intersection of idea management, continuous improvement and knowledge intelligence—while the rest fade into corporate oblivion.—
Ludwig Melik,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In the meantime, Walters warns that, without national anti-SLAPP protections in place, Wednesday’s verdict will likely embolden powerful companies—and potentially silence activists and groups that are unable to afford a costly legal battle.—
Simmone Shah,
TIME,
21 Mar. 2025
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This attempt to intimidate nonresidents into silence is the latest step in a long process of vilifying the pro-Palestinian student movement.—
Bastiaan Vanacker,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The official spoke on the condition of anonymity before an announcement.—
Collin Binkley and Chris Megerian,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2025
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However, since Trump took office on Jan. 20 much of the work has come to a standstill, according to eleven current and former officials, all of whom requested anonymity to discuss classified matters.—
Erin Banco and Mari Saito,
USA TODAY,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obscurity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscurity. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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