are designed to obfuscate

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "are designed to obfuscate" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing something that is intentionally made unclear or confusing, often in the context of language, policies, or technical information. Example: "The legal documents are designed to obfuscate the true intentions of the agreement."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The portion sizes are designed to obfuscate.

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

While the Estonian and Georgian attacks were largely designed to obfuscate communication within the target countries more recently informational warfare has been used to facilitate remote sabotage.

SEP

This is language designed to obfuscate rather than clarify, filled with qualifiers and weasel words.

The Guardian - Tech

The standard vote choice question, which dates to 1935 when George Gallup first asked about presidential preferences, is deliberately designed to obfuscate the number of undecided voters.

Huffington Post

When Buddha said to Vaccha, "That does not fit the case," or when Tao Wu said to Chien Yuan, "I won't say," these answers are not actually designed to obfuscate, confuse or conceal.

Huffington Post

These models were designed to remove any intrinsic steric bias for the formation of the bicyclic products that would obfuscate a stereoelectronic contribution to the transition states.

Tetrahedron

All seem designed to obfuscate the issue and provide air cover for the real goal: maintaining higher profits for brokers, even at the expense of the people they are meant to advise.

Huffington Post

This was the latest in a series of antics by Prabowo designed to delay and obfuscate results, having both demanded a revote in some areas and insisted that the KPU halt the vote count altogether over the preceding days.

Los Angeles Times

Second, potential genomic side-effects caused by the transformation process are widely believed to obfuscate the functional analysis of genes that are responsible for specific traits [3].

Plosone

That's the real story, which the Republicans in Congress and their addled supporters are busy trying to obfuscate.

The New Yorker

"Aren't you glad you're out of it?" Before the media, Sim was willing to obfuscate and lie, as it suited him.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "are designed to obfuscate", ensure that the context clearly indicates who or what is responsible for the intentional obfuscation. This strengthens the accusatory or critical tone.

Common error

Avoid using "are designed to obfuscate" when a simpler explanation of complexity or unintentional confusion would suffice. The phrase implies deliberate intent, so reserve it for situations where that intent is clear.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "are designed to obfuscate" functions as a predicate adjective phrase, modifying a noun or pronoun by describing its purpose. It indicates that something has been intentionally created to be unclear or confusing. Ludwig AI confirms its usability.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "are designed to obfuscate" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to indicate that something is intentionally made unclear or confusing. Ludwig AI confirms this, and the phrase's presence in news, scientific, and formal contexts suggests its versatility. While it's essential to use the phrase carefully, ensuring intent is clear, alternatives like "are intended to confuse" or "are meant to obscure" can provide nuance. Employing this phrase effectively involves recognizing its critical tone and avoiding overuse in neutral situations. Overall, understanding the contexts and implications is key to wielding this phrase effectively.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

are intended to confuse

Focuses on the intention behind the design, highlighting the goal of causing confusion.

are meant to obscure

Emphasizes the act of hiding or concealing information through design.

are created to mislead

Highlights the deceptive aspect, suggesting the design aims to guide towards a false conclusion.

are deliberately ambiguous

Focuses on the intentional use of ambiguity in the design.

are strategically vague

Highlights the strategic nature of the vagueness, implying a specific purpose behind it.

are calculated to deceive

Emphasizes the calculated and planned nature of the deception.

are engineered for opacity

Highlights the complex and deliberate engineering of something to make it hard to understand.

are structured to bewilder

Focuses on how the structure itself causes bewilderment.

are fashioned to cloud

Emphasizes the crafting or shaping of something specifically to make it less clear.

are formulated to perplex

Highlights that the formulation (of a plan, statement, etc) is intended to create perplexity.

FAQs

How can I use "are designed to obfuscate" in a sentence?

You can use "are designed to obfuscate" to describe situations where something is intentionally made unclear or confusing. For example: "The regulations "are designed to obfuscate" the true cost of the project."

What are some alternatives to "are designed to obfuscate"?

Alternatives include "are intended to confuse", "are meant to obscure", or "are created to mislead", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "are designed to obfuscate" or "are intended to clarify"?

The choice depends entirely on the context. "Are designed to obfuscate" implies a deliberate attempt to make something unclear, while "are intended to clarify" suggests the opposite goal: to make something easier to understand.

What is the tone of "are designed to obfuscate"?

The phrase "are designed to obfuscate" typically carries a negative or critical tone, as it implies that someone is intentionally trying to hide or distort information.