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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

muddy the waters en · VERB

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic, informal) To make something unclear and difficult to understand.
    • He insisted that the Basque separatist group Eta remained the main line of investigation, and suggested the tape may have been an attempt to muddy the waters. 2004 March 12, Giles Tremlett, “The clues that point towards al-Qaida”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
    • “Thank you for having me on,” Banks began. The one statement he made that sounded genuinely credible. It’s not often that someone accused of electoral fraud gets to muddy the waters on live television ahead of a possible criminal investigation. 2018 November 4, John Crace, “Marr founders on the Rocks of Arron Banks's muddy waters”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
    • "Some applications will fail. ORR does not need strong-arm tactics from DfT muddying the waters." 2025 July 9, David Stubbings, “Network News: Open access row: DfT accused of "strong-arm tactics"”, in RAIL, number 1039, page 6:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
muddy the water alternative lexicographic
muddied the waters Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
muddied the waters Tense=Past lexicographic
muddying the waters Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
muddies the waters Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Relateds

muddle-headed · muddied · muddled · clear as mud

Translations (10)

fr brouiller les pistes (To make something unclear and difficult to understand) · fi sotkea asiaa (To make something unclear and difficult to understand) · fi hämmentää (To make something unclear and difficult to understand) · ru мути́ть во́ду (To make something unclear and difficult to understand) · it intorbidare le acque (To make something unclear and difficult to understand) · fr noyer le poisson (To make something unclear and difficult to understand) · cmn 攪渾水 /搅浑水 (To make something unclear and difficult to understand) · pl zaciemniać obraz (To make something unclear and difficult to understand) · el θολώνω τα νερά (To make something unclear and difficult to understand) · it confondere le acque (To make something unclear and difficult to understand)