obfuscate
/ˈɒbfəskeɪt/
Group 31Difficulty 2/3
Definition
- (verb)
- To render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible GRE
Example in Context
The company's legal team appeared to be deliberately obfuscating the facts, burying damaging information under mountains of irrelevant documentation.
Synonyms
confuseobscuremuddle
Etymology
To darken or obscure something, making it unclear.
- ob- (Latin) — against
- fuscare (Latin) — to darken
Memory Aid
🌫️Sounds like “ob-fuss-kate”
An angry teacher named Kate who obscures the board with fog while fussing at students — she OBFUSCATES!
Visual Association
🌪️A swirling cloud of confusion, where everything is blurry and hard to understand.
Semantic Clusters
Synonym Groups
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “obfuscate” mean on the GRE?
obfuscate (verb) means “To render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible”. The company's legal team appeared to be deliberately obfuscating the facts, burying damaging information under mountains of irrelevant documentation.
How to remember “obfuscate” for the GRE?
Mnemonic: “obfuscate” sounds like “ob-fuss-kate”. An angry teacher named Kate who obscures the board with fog while fussing at students — she OBFUSCATES!
What are synonyms for “obfuscate”?
Common synonyms: confuse, obscure, muddle.