muddy the waters
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Complicate an issue.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
It is distressing to see the pro - integrationists trying to muddy the waters.
This is partly due to my experiences as a politician, because I know as a politician that when you are doing something naughty, nothing is more effective than to muddy the waters with complication.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “muddy the waters” mean?
Complicate an issue.
Is “muddy the waters” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.