OBSCURES Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

obscures

verb

present tense third-person singular of obscure

as in conceals

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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as in blurs

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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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 obscures Eclipses always travel in pairs as the sun, moon and Earth align so precisely that one obscures the other. — Marcia Dunn, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026 Rather than blocking the sun entirely, the moon obscures only a portion of it, leaving behind the eclipse's signature crescent shape. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026 The timing of the eclipse — and how long the moon fully obscures the sun — will vary by location. — Raf Sanchez, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2026 This obscures the blinding light of the sun, allowing viewers to glimpse our star's outer atmosphere, or corona. — Brett Tingley, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2026 When the moon obscures most of the sun just before totality, leaving only a thin sliver of sunlight, the turbulence becomes visible. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 Casting Gen Z’s reactions as nihilistic obscures the values and institutional distrust connected to them and fails to appreciate their egalitarian and pragmatic ideals. — Evan Clarkson, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026 This is a shame, and not only because the book’s style obscures its significance as the most high-profile effort by that date to marry what were then the two most important currents of French philosophy. — Literary Hub, 21 July 2026 Studying differences at the state level further obscures the signal by combining rural California with San Francisco Bay Area counties or upstate New York with New York City. — Marc Lipsitch, STAT, 21 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscures

Verb

Co-created by Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, Blue Eye Samurai follows the story of Mizu, a samurai who conceals her gender and mixed-race heritage after facing a life of discrimination, on a personal quest for revenge.

— Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 21 Aug. 2026
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus initially conceals his identity as the Messiah from even his closest disciples.

— John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of conceals

Verb

The expansion will take players to the brand new realm of Letten — an idyllic land of rural tradition that hides a dark secret just below the surface.

— Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Who’s flaunting their skeletal frame and who hides a bit behind a couture wall of feathers?

— Marti Noxon, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of hides

Verb

The stream will feature real-time views of the Sturgeon Moon as Earth's shadow darkens its surface in the skies above Portugal and Spain, weather permitting.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
The planet becomes easier to identify as the sky darkens, making the best time for viewing during the late-night and early-morning hours.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of darkens

Verb

Based on FactSet’s definition of second-quarter reporting, which covers companies with fiscal quarters ending in May, June, or July, Nvidia and Micron are projected to be the largest contributors to the S&P 500′s overall profit growth.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
The Netflix series covers the same timespan as A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, though presumably with less doo-wop.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of covers

Verb

This annual launch window systematically overshadows events like IFA Berlin, depriving mid-range Android devices of crucial media attention.

— Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
But the strategic cocktail of soft nationalism, corporate politics and ticket-sales boosterism that constitutes the wild card system more often overshadows sporting fairness.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of overshadows

Verb

When your fat cells are adequately stocked with fat, leptin levels are high, and your brain suppresses appetite.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026
Warming suppresses upwelling — which normally allows colder, deeper and nutrient-rich ocean water to rise closer to the surface.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of suppresses

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obscureness

obscures

obscuring

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“Obscures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscures. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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verb

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