Word of the Day

: November 29, 2021

obfuscate

verb AHB-fuh-skayt

What It Means

Obfuscate means "to make difficult to understand" or "to be evasive, unclear, or confusing."  

// The coach obfuscated his response as to whether he would retire at the end of the season.

// When asked about the lawsuit alleging plagiarism, the singer obfuscated.

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obfuscate in Context

"Intelligence officials operate in an increasingly difficult environment, in which bad actors are deploying sophisticated technology to obfuscate their activities…." — Will Hurd, The Dallas Morning News, 8 Sept. 2021

Did You Know?

Obfuscate comes from the Latin prefix ob- (meaning "over" or "completely") and fuscus ("dark-colored"). That fact gives an idea as to how the word can refer to making something difficult to see or understand—much like how dark, dirty water makes it hard to see the bottom.