Read the sentence given below. Select the word which means the opposite of the underlined word.
The politician's statement only served to obfuscate the real issue.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → elucidate
Obfuscate means to make something unclear or confusing, often on purpose. The politician's statement made the real issue harder to understand. Its antonym is elucidate.
Example: The lawyer used long words to obfuscate the facts.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) obscure | to hide or make unclear (almost the same as obfuscate, so it is a synonym, not an antonym) | Clouds obscured the view of the mountains. |
| (2) exemplify | to be or give a typical example of something (an example can help make a point clear, but the word does not mean "make clear", so it is not the opposite of obfuscate) | Her honesty exemplifies the values of the school. |
| (3) obliterate | to destroy or wipe out completely (it has nothing to do with making things clear) | The flood obliterated the village. |
| (4) elucidate (answer) | to make something clear by explaining it (obfuscate makes a thing unclear, while elucidate makes it clear) | The teacher elucidated the theory with simple diagrams. |
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