Obfuscate
hardOB-fus-kayt
verb
Definition
To render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible
Examples
“The politician tried to obfuscate the issue with technical jargon.”
“Don't obfuscate the facts with unnecessary details.”
Categories
GRE Tip
Obfuscate is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "obscure" or "confuse" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "clarify".
Related GRE Words
esoteric
Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with specialized knowledge
abstruse
Difficult to understand; obscure
recondite
Little known; abstruse; dealing with very profound, difficult, or specialized subject matter
cryptic
Having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure
opaque
Not able to be seen through; not transparent; difficult to understand
arcane
Understood by few; mysterious or secret
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