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obfuscate

[ ob-fuh-skeyt, ob-fuhs-keyt ]
/ ˈɒb fəˌskeɪt, ɒbˈfʌs keɪt /
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See synonyms for: obfuscate / obfuscated / obfuscation on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object), ob·fus·cat·ed, ob·fus·cat·ing.
to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy.
to make obscure or unclear: to obfuscate a problem with extraneous information.
to darken.
verb (used without object) ob·fus·cat·ed, ob·fus·cat·ing.
to make something unclear, obscure, or difficult to understand: Notice how she obfuscates when asked directly about her conversations with the defendant.
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Origin of obfuscate

First recorded in 1525–35; from Late Latin obfuscātus (past participle of obfuscāre “to darken”), equivalent to Latin ob- ob- + fusc(us) “dark” + -ātus -ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM obfuscate

ob·fus·ca·tion [ob-fuh-skey-shuhn], /ˌɒb fəˈskeɪ ʃən/, nounob·fus·ca·to·ry [ob-fuhs-kuh-tawr-ee], /ɒbˈfʌs kəˌtɔr i/, adjectiveun·ob·fus·cat·ed, adjective

Words nearby obfuscate

obese, obesity, obesogen, obesogenic, obey, obfuscate, obfuscation, ob-gyn, obi, Obie, obiit
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to obfuscate

baffle, becloud, befuddle, bewilder, cloud, complicate, conceal, confound, darken, fog, fuddle, muddle, obscure, perplex, puzzle, rattle

How to use obfuscate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for obfuscate

obfuscate
/ (ˈɒbfʌsˌkeɪt) /
verb (tr)
to obscure or darken
to perplex or bewilder

Derived forms of obfuscate

obfuscatory, adjective

Word Origin for obfuscate

C16: from Latin ob- (intensive) + fuscāre to blacken, from fuscus dark
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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