1
as in to confuse
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
don't becloud the discussion by raising unrelated issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
the smog from the city's steel mills was once so oppressive that it beclouded the local landscape even at noon
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of becloud
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
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
Edward Fitzpatrick, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2019
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for becloud
Verb
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The snake is also easily confused with the Brahminy blind snake, also known as the flowerpot snake, an invasive species in Barbados, according to Re:wild.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
23 July 2025
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Baun’s ability to play on the line of scrimmage allowed defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to shift the front with Baun moving from off-ball to edge or vice versa right before the snap, confusing the blocking assignments for the offense.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
23 July 2025
Verb
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By the time of totality at 3:20 p.m., dense clouds obscured the view, with an eerie darkness and a golden horizon.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
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He was either shrouded in haze (the gasps of the fog machine eventually became indistinguishable from the vapor being collectively exhaled by the crowd) or obscured by low-angle backlighting.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
Verb
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While effective against known threats, these approaches struggle against novel or obfuscated attacks.—
Nirupam Samanta,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
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Complicating matters further are sophisticated networks of onshore and offshore actors who facilitate illicit operations by obscuring catch data, obfuscating labor abuses, and lobbying to maintain lax regulations, according to C4ADS.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
Verb
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But perceptions of where the economy is heading have darkened.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
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Just after sunset, as the sky begins to darken, a 2%-lit waxing crescent moon will appear just hours after being in its invisible new phase.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Verb
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The outlook for the Japanese yen has been clouded by trade worries.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
21 July 2025
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One consequence is wetland waters that are clouded with particles, shutting out light and potentially harming aquatic wildlife, Caiola said.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
20 July 2025
Verb
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Tweaked as recently as 1992, the house deliberately blurs boundaries between interior and exterior, public and private, finished and unfinished.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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AirPods blur the line between presence and absence, reducing opportunities for mindfulness.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Leaves and buds that are bitten by frost will blacken and shrivel, sometimes all over the plant.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 July 2025
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Let skins blister and blacken, while turning peppers with tongs, until they’re evenly blackened, about 5 minutes.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
Denver Post,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Becloud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/becloud. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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