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YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

Obfuscate

Verb

IPA /ˈɒbfʌskeɪt/

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Meaning in plain English

To make something unclear or harder to understand, often deliberately.

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Pronunciation

Obfuscate/ˈɒbfʌskeɪt/

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  1. A clear explanation

  2. Extra jargon makes it confusing

To obfuscate is to make something harder to understand.

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Examples in context

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  1. The company’s spokesperson tried to obfuscate the issue with vague jargon and technicalities.
  2. Unnecessary jargon can obfuscate an otherwise simple explanation.

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The company’s spokesperson tried to ________ the issue with vague jargon and technicalities.
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Obfuscate — To make something unclear or harder to understand, often deliberately.

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To make something unclear or harder to understand, often deliberately.

Compare: The company’s spokesperson tried to obfuscate the issue with vague jargon and technicalities.

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Word origin

From Latin obfuscare, from ob- ("over") + fuscus ("dark") — literally "to darken over."

Did you know?

Obfuscate is often used when someone intentionally clouds the truth—like hiding facts under layers of complexity.

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Obfuscate

/ˈɒbfʌskeɪt/ (Verb)

“Obfuscate describes reduced clarity. Context tells you whether the confusion is intentional.”

englishskillstudio.com