obfuscatory

adjective

Definition of obfuscatorynext
as in incomprehensible

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 obfuscatory High tide has an obfuscatory effect. — Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obfuscatory
  1. incomprehensible
  2. puzzling
  3. vague
  4. mysterious
  5. inexplicable
  6. indecipherable
  7. nebulous
  8. obscure
Adjective
  • War of the Worlds fuses post-9/11 paranoia and the terror of parenting to create one of Spielberg’s most thrilling blockbusters with a dark, genuinely scary atmosphere of ordinary people being wiped out by incomprehensible tragedy.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Farnaby’s character, a thickly-accented and mostly-incomprehensible farmer, was, of course, called Barry.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of incomprehensible
Adjective
  • Roman’s catalog of galaxies will help scientists ascertain how quickly the universe is expanding due to these puzzling, unseen forces.
    — Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Doeding also plans to host events like speed puzzling and pre-release card game experiences.
    — Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of puzzling
Adjective
  • The Fed chairman, who took charge of the central bank in May, is deliberately vague, saying investors and businesses should watch what's happening in the economy, not in the policymaking corridors of Washington.
    — Scott Horsley, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The Senate proposal also includes measures to try and lighten the loads on Californians’ utility bills, though again, details remain vague.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of vague
Adjective
  • Add the mysterious departure of the younger Belichick and that only adds more to Craig’s plate.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Elizabeth, less inclined to anatomize herself in writing, remains the more mysterious force.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of mysterious
Adjective
  • There’s also a brief and inexplicable detour to Murray Hill and a Williamsburg-y Bushwick loft to remind us of simpler times.
    — Nora DeLigter, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Then again, so is this inexplicable two-and-a-half-year stretch of low-risk, juiceless attacking hockey that Pettersson has just endured.
    — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of inexplicable
Adjective
  • That standard still holds for his frequent barrages of boasts, insults, threats, grouses and indecipherable dispatches via Truth Social.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Tubman is all but indecipherable, roughly limned with white paint and covered by red, black, and yellow smudges and drips.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of indecipherable
Adjective
  • Now, to be clear, nightclubs like Basement have a longstanding subjective — and often nebulous — criteria for who gets in, and anyone dorky enough to show up to one wearing Meta glasses almost certainly wouldn’t make the cut anyway.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The culture fit piece is perhaps more nebulous but equally important, and while Orgeron fit LSU like a glove, Kelly stuck out like a sore thumb.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of nebulous
Adjective
  • Given most late-summer midterm-election-year weakness has been more than recovered right afterward, the proper course of action now becomes even more obscure.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In many cases, the robot tail wags the living dog by tricking it—tricking us—into caring about obscure metrics, then gamifying the process of improving them.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of obscure

Browse Nearby Words

obfuscating
obfuscatory
ob-gyn
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All