1
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
a fantasy writer who likes to put lots of obscure references and images in her tales of wizards and warlocks
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unknown
not widely known
he's an obscure artist now, but he's sure to be famous someday
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3
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
hid in an obscure spot among the trees
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4
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly
a distinction so obscure that only the experts can really see it
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1
as in to conceal
to keep secret or shut off from view
the investigative reporters obscured their real motives for visiting the company by pretending the story was about something else
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2
as in to blur
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
when it isn't obscured by smog, the view of the city from the observatory can be spectacular
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obscure
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 14 July 2025
Chartreuse Made by actual French monks based on a nearly 300-year-old secret recipe, this high-proof, kelly green spirit is a bit of an obscure flex.
—Amiel Stanek, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 July 2025
Jem Aswad, Variety, 16 July 2025
His back license plate is clearly visible during the first stop and then difficult to read and obscured by dust when he is pulled over a few hours later on that same day.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscure
Adjective
Although obscure outside computer-history circles, Knowledge Navigator is legendary in Silicon Valley.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 14 July 2025
Chartreuse Made by actual French monks based on a nearly 300-year-old secret recipe, this high-proof, kelly green spirit is a bit of an obscure flex.
—Amiel Stanek, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 July 2025
Verb
While much of the instrumental backing is apparently new — with lots of strings and synthesizers mostly obscuring the original’s organ and guitars — the vocal does indeed appear to be Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan, along with brief elements of the band’s instrumental work.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 16 July 2025
His back license plate is clearly visible during the first stop and then difficult to read and obscured by dust when he is pulled over a few hours later on that same day.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for obscure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscure
Adjective
-
Automate routine monitoring, but require cross-functional review for ambiguous or high-impact alerts, providing clear explanations.—
Dr. Chiranjiv Roy,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
-
At times, though, there’s nothing ambiguous or veiled in his work.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
The possibility of a third season is unknown, but the end of their current contract doesn’t rule out future seasons of the show or other projects from the couple.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
23 July 2025
-
Do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
Diners and customers still face overwhelming menus, vague promotions, delayed support and unclear pricing.—
Maulikkumar Pandya,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
So the question is, when does a vague ending serve more of a purpose than a clear one?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 July 2025
Verb
-
Hiding your number conceals it from everyone, including friends, family, and coworkers who have your number saved on their device, so there is a chance the call might go unanswered.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
-
These methods conceal the user’s real card number and give the payment network control over spending caps, merchant lists and transaction permissions.—
Darko Pavic,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
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
-
AirPods blur the line between presence and absence, reducing opportunities for mindfulness.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
In the days leading up to the show, Tyler hinted at a surprise set for July 21 by posting cryptic images on his Instagram, including a Louis Vuitton bag, a mannequin’s head and a trumpet player in a band uniform.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
19 July 2025
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The Wall Street Journal reported in the evening on July 17 that Trump sent Epstein a lewd, cryptic letter for his 50th birthday.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
19 July 2025
Adjective
-
Anton and his second wife adopted Jean sometime during the Depression, but the details are murky.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
While the Celtics have made a couple of small additions, the future is still a bit murky.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
Adjective
-
These pictures reveal faint details that were previously invisible.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
-
Bell Labs gave me free rein to engineer new systems that would detect those extremely faint signals.—
Jenna Ahart,
Quanta Magazine,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obscure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscure. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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