clouding

verb

present participle of cloud
1
as in obscuring
to make dark, dim, or indistinct the diner's dark interior, clouded with smoke and grease

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in confusing
to make (something) unclear to the understanding cloud the issue with obscure statistics

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clouding The detention of Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu on Thursday risks clouding Lusaka’s credentials as a relatively stable southern African democracy and denting investor confidence in Africa’s second-largest copper producer. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026 In addition to the starters who have yet to practice for the Panthers, a couple of notable first- and second-year players have been sidelined recently, clouding the roster picture a bit. — Joseph Person, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Then Kris drifts outside, her face clouding, followed by Billy. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 What underlying assumptions are clouding my strategic judgment? — Simone Lundquist, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Wholesale inflation fell from May to June on plunging energy prices, but intensifying hostilities with Iran are clouding the outlook. — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026 Are foggy relationships clouding your goals and ambitions? — Usa Today, USA Today, 25 June 2026 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were recent enough for Black Americans to understand the nation’s possibility for change, yet the routine violence didn’t diminish, clouding the wave of optimism with grief and disillusionment. — Rae-Aila Crumble, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026 What’s more, handling a mummy exposes it to potential contamination from modern bacteria and fungi, further clouding the picture of its microbial makeup. — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clouding
  1. obscuring
  2. confusing
  3. blurring
  4. obfuscating
  5. darkening
  6. muddying
  7. fogging
  8. complicating
Verb
  • Forward vision is excellent because there’s no roof, A-pillars, or much of anything obscuring your view (the only model above the Signature Edition, called the Grand Touring, does include a roof of sorts).
    — William Roberson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The glass is reeded and translucent, obscuring the line cooks behind it.
    — Alexis Benveniste, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of obscuring
Verb
  • Then began the desperate, confusing search for their colleagues.
    — Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Summary Founders frequently misjudge their business's worth, often confusing revenue with actual value.
    — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • Sure, some people like your reporting of each but FFS stop blurring them.
    — Art de Roché, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Meta could introduce technical solutions, like automatically blurring faces, as Google does in Street View images, but Szydlowski doubts Meta would voluntarily make such a privacy-conscious change without regulatory or public pressure.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of blurring
Verb
  • The lawsuit expanded on that, accusing the village of obfuscating the nature of the development during the earlier stages of approvals.
    — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The revelation is the latest example of how engaging the technology — and obfuscating such use — can roil audiences eager to support new films.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of obfuscating
Verb
  • The title references Black Like Me, white journalist John Howard Griffin’s 1961 nonfiction book about darkening his skin to pass for Black in the Jim Crow South.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
  • During a total eclipse, the moon completely covers the face of the sun, darkening the sky and revealing just the sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of darkening
Verb
  • Her father is also fighting as a soldier in the Ukrainian Army, further muddying things.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • But Trump’s approval ratings have suffered a year and a half into his second term and are muddying a race that Blakeman wants to keep squarely focused on Hochul and her management of the state.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of muddying
Verb
  • In other words, Bessent is fogging up the very same windshield Warsh was attempting to get a clear view from.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Cleaning a mirror with shaving cream can also prevent it from fogging over in the future.
    — Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of fogging
Verb
  • Bond yields Persistent inflation, tariffs and whipsawing gas prices are not the only obstacles complicating the task for the Fed.
    — Brian Cheung, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Nepalese officials said that dozens of bridges were destroyed and nearly 40 kilometers (25 miles) of roads were damaged, complicating search efforts.
    — Shristi Kafle, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of complicating

Browse Nearby Words

cloudiness
clouding
cloudland
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Cite this Entry

“Clouding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clouding. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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