CLARIFYING Synonyms: 128 Similar and Opposite Words

clarifying 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of clarifying

as in illuminating

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

clarifying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of clarify

as in filtering

to remove usually visible impurities from clarify the melted butter by skimming off the milky bits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in explaining

to make plain or understandable it would help if you could clarify your position for us

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of clarifying

Adjective

Some of the most clarifying conversations about where work is headed come from people who are just entering it. — Lindsey Garito, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026 As the Virgo Moon arrives November 13 to 15, things get even more introspective, but in the best, most clarifying way. — Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 9 Nov. 2025 And that was a clarifying moment for me in my understanding of their relationship. — Max Gao, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025 These compositions have surprising emotional impact and a clarifying depth. — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2024

Verb

Before meeting with a patient advocate, identify your main objectives – for example, preparing for a transition home, clarifying a treatment plan or understanding medication changes. — Jennifer Schlinger, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026 In November 2025, South Korea proposed talks on clarifying the borderline, but North Korea didn’t respond. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026 Gillian Anderson is clarifying a viral video that shows the actress confronting a group of superfans who repeatedly sit in the front row of her West End production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 Leonard, however, claimed in her lawsuit that the city declined to issue a statement clarifying that she was not involved. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026 Krell responded one week later by clarifying certain portions of her request, including the timeframe, the communications systems to be searched and providing eight specific search terms. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026 Following an investigation, the Indiana Fever released a statement clarifying that arena security found no official violation of the WNBA Fan Code of Conduct. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 Beijing has never publicly confirmed Zhou’s job title, and his official biography has few clarifying details. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026 The piece contends that the rulings strengthen public confidence in California’s election administration by protecting the chain of custody and clarifying state oversight of local law enforcement. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clarifying

Adjective

Between 2024 and 2025, Johnson's team collected fish from some waterbodies there, and the results were pretty illuminating.

— CBS News, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Even if biology is ultimately not as quantum as researchers once hoped, there may still be interesting — and potentially illuminating — parallels between the living world and the quantum realm.

— Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of illuminating

Verb

The old boy was perfectly reasonable, explaining the difference between federal reimbursement and state reimbursement, and the speed that agencies move on the different levels.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
As this is a Lynch film, explaining the rest of the plot would be a pointless exercise, but expect plentiful violence, stylish surrealism, and a road movie that’ll shock and delight in equal measure.

— Daisy Jones, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of explaining

Adjective

As the series continues, however, Kazan plays up the explanatory power of an incident from Cathy’s childhood.

— Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
For a writer so given to cultural reference, intellectual genealogy, and various explanatory apparatuses, this failure of language is unexpectedly liberating to read.

— Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of explanatory

Verb

Future research will focus on refining decoupling molecules, integrating tandem cell designs, and scaling production for roll-to-roll manufacturing.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
Those productions give Galleri5 a base for refining its technology against real-world creative and production demands.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of refining

Verb

Over time, the company has aggregated a combination of destinations, tournaments, leagues and camps, illustrating how physical facilities can anchor a broader participation business rather than function simply as real-estate assets.

— Chris Russo, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Its report points to independent software maintenance as a way for IT leaders to regain control over software budgets, illustrating its potential bias.

— Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of illustrating

Adjective

In less than two minutes during a standard postgame interview, Cooley offered a rare and revealing glimpse into the psychology behind peak athletic performance and how the best athletes in the world operate between the ears.

— Jesse Granger, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026
The polling divide One of the most revealing findings in the new Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll isn’t just who’s ahead in Georgia’s biggest races.

— Adam Beam, AJC.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of revealing

Verb

In the Johnson administration, that has taken a back seat to extracting cash from those deemed by these redistributionists as having too much of it.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
For supporters, the proposal represents an emergency fiscal response aimed at temporarily extracting revenue from unprecedented concentrations of wealth.

— Trevor Laurence Jockims, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of extracting

Browse Nearby Words

clarify

clarifying

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Style

“Clarifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clarifying. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of clarifying

adjective

verb

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