obscure to detect

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "obscure to detect" is not correct in written English.
It seems to be an attempt to convey that something is difficult to notice or identify. Example: "The subtle changes in the painting were obscure to detect without a trained eye."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

They are often obscure and methods to detect them at the spatial scales necessary for systematic conservation planning and forest management have been time consuming, cost ineffective, or too coarse-filter.

Forest Ecology and Management

One study done by the Harvard Medical School found that participants could obscure the ability to detect deception by making subtle motor movements during key points in testing.

Vice

During each successive cycle of viral replication, further recombination both obscures the ability to detect the parental strains and blurs recombination breakpoints.

Plosone

It is conceivable that the increased concomitant RA medication use may have obscured the ability to detect small, but perhaps meaningful differences between active treatments.

BMC Family Practice

The placebo used for the fish oil supplement was isocaloric but contained olive oil, and this may have obscured our ability to detect an effect of fish oil.

Cancer Causes and Control

We surmise that the heavily pretreated patient population, modest treatment efficacy, and small sample size may have obscured our ability to detect any meaningful relationship in our study.

British Journal of Cancer

Alternatively, the presence of strong age affects as indicated earlier combined with small sample sizes of children with and without dogs may have obscured our ability to detect a significant effect of dogs.

eLife

A second interpretation to the female-only finding, assuming the original EMB theory holds, is that although physiological factors related to sexual differentiation may be critical for autism, ceiling effects in males may have obscured our ability to detect similar effects in males.

Brain

Of note, when corrected for body weight, the coefficient of variance for the average total EE for each group of mice fell as temperature decreased, suggesting that for beam break data, noise was not obscuring our ability to detect the contribution of activity to EE.

Cell Metabolism

The cognitive measures in this study were administered 3 weeks apart, thus it is possible that improvements in performance due to practice or learned effects may have obscured the ability to detect any direct effects of study products on cognitive functioning.

Clinical interventions in aging

(Even now, I continue to detect obscure odors, including what people eat and when they've had sex).

The New York Times - Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Instead of saying something is "obscure to detect", use more precise language like "difficult to discern" or "hard to perceive" to clearly communicate the intended meaning.

Common error

Avoid using the phrase "obscure to detect" as it's not standard English. Choose alternative phrases that accurately convey the intended meaning of something being difficult to notice or identify.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "obscure to detect" attempts to link the characteristic of being hidden or unclear with the action of identifying something. However, as noted by Ludwig AI, the phrasing is grammatically incorrect and does not follow standard English usage.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "obscure to detect" is grammatically incorrect and not recognized as standard English. Ludwig AI indicates that it is an attempt to express the difficulty of noticing or identifying something. Given its incorrectness, it's best to avoid this phrase in both formal and informal contexts. Instead, opt for more accurate and widely accepted alternatives like "difficult to discern", "hard to perceive", or "not easily noticeable" to ensure clear and effective communication. These alternatives more accurately convey the intended meaning and are grammatically sound.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficult to discern

Emphasizes the challenge in distinguishing or recognizing something.

hard to perceive

Focuses on the difficulty in becoming aware of something through the senses.

not easily noticeable

Highlights the low probability of something attracting attention.

subtle and hard to spot

Combines the ideas of subtlety and the challenge of visual detection.

masked from view

Suggests something is hidden or covered, making it difficult to see.

difficult to make out

Focuses on the effort needed to understand or see something clearly.

not immediately apparent

Indicates that something requires investigation to be understood.

requires close inspection to identify

Specifies the need for careful examination for detection.

hidden from detection

Emphasizes the intentional concealment of something.

faint and hard to register

Highlights the weakness of a signal making it hard to be noticed or recorded.

FAQs

What does it mean if something is "obscure to detect"?

The phrase "obscure to detect" is not grammatically correct. It seems to imply that something is difficult to notice or identify. Consider alternatives like "difficult to discern" or "hard to perceive".

How can I rephrase "obscure to detect" to make it grammatically correct?

Replace "obscure to detect" with phrases such as "difficult to discern", "hard to perceive", or "not easily noticeable" depending on the context.

Is "obscure to detect" a commonly used phrase in English?

No, "obscure to detect" is not a commonly used phrase. It's better to use clearer and more grammatically correct alternatives to avoid confusion.

What are some situations where I might want to avoid using "obscure to detect"?

Avoid using "obscure to detect" in formal writing, academic papers, or professional communications. Instead, opt for alternatives like "difficult to make out" or "requires close inspection to identify" for clarity and accuracy.