obfuscate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
obfuscates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
obfuscated,
past participle, past
-
obfuscating
present participle
-
to make unclear or hard to understand, especially deliberately.
Do not obfuscate the issue with irrelevant detail.
-
to confuse or bewilder.
The authors achieve their purpose without obfuscating the reader by using too much technical terminology.
- Antonyms:
- illuminate, clarify
-
to darken.
verb (used without object)
-
obfuscates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
obfuscated,
past participle, past
-
obfuscating
present participle
verb
-
to obscure or darken
-
to perplex or bewilder
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
obfuscatesimple
-
obfuscatessimple
-
have obfuscatedperfect
-
has obfuscatedperfect
-
am obfuscatingprogressive
-
are obfuscatingprogressive
-
is obfuscatingprogressive
-
have been obfuscatingperfect progressive
-
has been obfuscatingperfect progressive
Past
-
obfuscatedsimple
-
had obfuscatedperfect
-
was obfuscatingprogressive
-
were obfuscatingprogressive
-
had been obfuscatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of obfuscate
First recorded in 1525–35; from Late Latin obfuscātus “darkened,” past participle of obfuscāre “to darken,” from Latin ob- ob- + fusc(us) “dark” + -āre, infinitive suffix
Explanation
Some people are experts at obfuscating the truth by being evasive, unclear, or obscure in the telling of the facts. The people who are good at obfuscating would include defense lawyers and teenagers asked about their plans for Saturday night. Although the verb obfuscate can be used in any case where something is darkened, less clear, or more obscure, it is most frequently used in reference to things like ideas, facts, issues, or the truth. The usual implied meaning is that this obfuscation is done deliberately. Politicians often obfuscate the truth about the issues to win support for their positions so they can win elections.
Vocabulary lists containing obfuscate
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Taylor Farms’ response frustrated administration officials, who viewed it as an effort to cast doubt on the broader investigation and obfuscate the company’s role.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
You don’t get to walk into my courtroom, pretend that’s top of mind, then obfuscate when I ask why your office is still running illegally.
From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2026
Blanche also responded to two other files highlighted by Massie, saying those files do not obfuscate any substantive information.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
“All the things I read in the final report did not in any way obfuscate anything, as far as I’m concerned.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 20, 2025
Firstly because he had no idea what obfuscate meant.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
It was a scene rarely seen in Western Washington, which so often obfuscates celestial phenomena with clouds stretching so far into the horizon you wonder if they ever end.
From Seattle Times ● May 11, 2024
Chinese commentators and the public have widely criticized the death toll, saying it obfuscates the real picture and hurts the government’s credibility.
From New York Times ● Dec. 23, 2022
Painting Afghan society with a broad brush only obfuscates the mistakes of those in power.
From Slate ● Feb. 2, 2022
Otherwise, Battersby’s by-the-numbers style obfuscates the power of Smith’s inspiring life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2022
You drink St. Emilion or still hock; I drink water from the well or the cup that cheers but not obfuscates.
From Philistia by Grant Allen
The author now alleges that Euracare has "stalled and muddied and obfuscated" over the inquest and has requested Nigeria's Federal High Court block the inquiry.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
NordVPN also includes a solid set of core VPN features such as split tunneling, a kill switch, obfuscated servers and Double VPN routing.
From Salon ● Dec. 12, 2025
Like some previous videos released by the US government, a section of the boat is obfuscated for unspecified reasons.
From Barron's ● Nov. 7, 2025
“The strength in megacap tech has obfuscated what appears to be increasing signs of weakness through much of the real economy,” said Bob Elliott, chief executive at Unlimited funds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2025
They acted slowly and without resolve, they backtracked, they obfuscated, they spoke with a small hesitant voice when what was needed was a howl.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Two months in, the rose-colored lenses are especially obfuscating.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
"They could be accessing these platforms with VPNs, or obfuscating their ages," Yasmin London, Global Online Safety Expert for Qustodio, said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Lawyers for the group contended that the city was obfuscating to cover up its inadequate efforts to comply with its settlement.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
No, their GPS coordinates have been disrupted, obfuscating their true location.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026
The art of so obfuscating his expression with words that neither his friends nor his enemies can come to any positive conclusion as to what he means.
From Mixed Faces by Roy Norton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
