becomes difficult to know

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "becomes difficult to know" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing situations or information that are becoming increasingly unclear or hard to understand. Example: "As the project progressed, it becomes difficult to know who was responsible for the delays."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

When too many secrets are kept, it becomes difficult to know which ones are important.

The New Yorker

When every policy is presented as evidence-based, it becomes difficult to know which are genuinely founded on science.

The Guardian - Opinion

"Put bluntly," wrote Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, "it becomes difficult to know what our circuit's law is".

The New York Times

In a digital age, it becomes difficult to know whether newspapers are reacting to what Twitter and Google analytics are telling them to publish, or whether they are actually writing up an actual story.

Independent

However, this may lead to being overwhelmed as it becomes difficult to know what to include or exclude.

SEP

It becomes difficult to know what place on the mobile-sedentary continuum and pastoralist-other economic activities spectrum the households classified as nomad actually lie.

Pastoralism

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

There were so many moments in this series where Arthur sat alone, snorting cocaine and throwing back sturdy amounts of Scotch, that it became difficult to know if he believed the war was truly over.

Independent

When finished in 1993, his addition, to what was once the mansion of the banker Felix Warburg, mimicked the museum's 1908 limestone facade by C. P. H. Gilbert so precisely that it became difficult to know where the old building, in its French Gothic chateau style, ended and where his began.

The New York Times - Arts

"It's become difficult to know what he actually does mean.

Huffington Post

It became difficult to recognise the drugs and know which drugs the new ones were replacing or for which purpose they were to be used.

European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

This is a logical inference, but when there is a growth in the number of gene candidates it becomes difficult to get all the information on known diseases and related literature manually, and computational approaches are helpful.

Genome Medicine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "becomes difficult to know", ensure the context clearly indicates what specific information or understanding is becoming challenging to obtain. This provides clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "becomes difficult to know" in simple sentences where a more direct and concise phrasing would be more effective. For example, instead of saying "With so many choices, it becomes difficult to know what to pick", consider "With so many choices, it's hard to pick."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "becomes difficult to know" functions as a descriptor indicating an increasing level of uncertainty or complexity. It highlights a transition from a state of relative clarity or understanding to one where knowledge is harder to acquire or confirm. This is verified by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

40%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "becomes difficult to know" effectively communicates a growing sense of uncertainty or complexity surrounding a particular subject. Grammatically sound and commonly used across diverse contexts like news and science, it signals a transition from clarity to ambiguity. According to Ludwig, the phrase is indeed correct and usable in written English. While there are more formal alternatives like "becomes challenging to ascertain", the original phrase maintains a neutral tone suitable for a broad range of applications. When using "becomes difficult to know", ensure that the context clearly indicates what information is becoming challenging to obtain in order to maximize clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

becomes challenging to understand

Replaces "difficult" with "challenging" and "know" with "understand", softening the tone slightly.

becomes hard to determine

Substitutes "difficult" with "hard" and "know" with "determine", indicating a struggle to ascertain something.

becomes complicated to figure out

Replaces "difficult" with "complicated" and "know" with "figure out", suggesting increased complexity in understanding.

becomes unclear what to believe

Shifts the focus to a lack of clarity regarding belief, rather than general knowledge.

becomes perplexing to comprehend

Uses "perplexing" and "comprehend" to convey a sense of bewilderment and intellectual difficulty.

becomes obscure to grasp

Employs "obscure" and "grasp" to highlight the difficulty in understanding something that is hidden or unclear.

becomes mysterious to unravel

Suggests that understanding the matter is like solving a mystery.

becomes problematic to ascertain

Focuses on the problem of confidently establishing something.

becomes questionable to verify

Indicates difficulty in confirming the truth or accuracy of something.

becomes inscrutable to decipher

Implies that the situation is so obscure it's almost impossible to work out.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "becomes difficult to know" to sound more formal?

In more formal contexts, consider using alternatives like "becomes challenging to ascertain", "becomes problematic to determine", or "becomes increasingly obscure to comprehend". These options add a layer of sophistication while maintaining the original meaning.

What does it mean when something "becomes difficult to know"?

When something "becomes difficult to know", it means that the information or understanding that was once relatively clear or accessible is now becoming harder to obtain or comprehend. This could be due to increasing complexity, conflicting data, or other factors that obscure the truth.

Is "becomes difficult to know" grammatically correct?

Yes, "becomes difficult to know" is grammatically correct. The structure follows standard English sentence construction and is widely used and accepted, as verified by Ludwig.

What are some situations where "becomes difficult to know" is commonly used?

"Becomes difficult to know" is frequently used when discussing complex systems, rapidly changing situations, or scenarios with conflicting information. For example, "In a digital age, it "becomes difficult to know" whether newspapers are reacting to what Twitter and Google analytics are telling them to publish, or whether they are actually writing up an actual story."