becloud

verb

bi-ˈklau̇d How to pronounce becloud (audio)
Definition of becloudnext
1
as in to confuse
to make (something) unclear to the understanding don't becloud the discussion by raising unrelated issues

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct the smog from the city's steel mills was once so oppressive that it beclouded the local landscape even at noon

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 becloud But instead of sounding the alarm, defendants went out of their way to becloud the emerging scientific consensus. — Edward Fitzpatrick, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2019 His flacks and surrogates hand out scraps of information grudgingly, infrequently, and beclouded by fragrant eructations of doublespeak. — Charles Seife, Slate Magazine, 1 Mar. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for becloud
  1. confuse
  2. obscure
  3. obfuscate
  4. darken
  5. cloud
  6. blur
  7. blacken
Verb
  • It’s labeled in their inventory so it’s not confused for an original, but adds their own touch to their trove.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Physicians are alarmed, stressing that FDA licensing is crucial for guiding patients, as this decision risks confusing consumers about regulated versus unregulated treatments.
    — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • The government label can obscure the fact that state loans function much more like private credit products.
    — Annie Nova, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026
  • And amid all the noise, something important will be obscured.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of obscure
Verb
  • The revelation is the latest example of how engaging the technology — and obfuscating such use — can roil audiences eager to support new films.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The situation has sparked backlash from lawmakers, who say the administration is obfuscating the casualty count and is trying to skirt the 60-day limit on military action without congressional authorization by rebranding the war.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 24 July 2026
Definition of obfuscate
Verb
  • The sky darkens to twilight, exposing the Sun's corona and sometimes revealing stars and planets as temperatures briefly cool.
    — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The summer sounds of 1966 offered a distraction from darkening clouds of social and political upheaval.
    — Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of darken
Verb
  • Leaves that are underwater can encourage bacteria, cloud the water, cause odors, and decrease your flower stem’s ability to take up water.
    — Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Aug. 2026
  • However, it was clouded by an injury to one of their top offseason acquisitions.
    — Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of cloud
Verb
  • Miramax's explosive success with Pulp Fiction ignited an indie boom, rewrote Oscar campaigns, and blurred the line between independent cinema and the Hollywood mainstream.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 4 Aug. 2026
  • With an interior volume of 1,100 GT, the yacht features a generous open-plan layout designed to blur the traditional boundaries between the indoor and outdoor environments.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of blur
Verb
  • It was blackened, charred, the conductor that had drawn the single precise punch of lightning.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 July 2026
  • If basil is exposed to freezing temperatures, the result is frost damage that can cause leaves to blacken.
    — Heather Bien, The Spruce, 26 July 2026
Definition of blacken

Browse Nearby Words

becks
becloud
beclouded
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Becloud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/becloud. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All