clear as mud

Idioms and Phrases

Murky, obscure, totally unclear, as in The translation of these directions is clear as mud . This ironic phrase always indicates that something is far from clear. [Early 1800s]

Example Sentences

The most powerful politician in the world the past 20 years made it as clear as mud following the infamous debate that she didn't think Biden was our best bet to beat the despicable Trump.

From Salon

"The Scottish government's direction of travel on this vitally important issue is as clear as mud," she adds.

From BBC

He said the team went into “pretty good detail, not trying to discredit Tyler, but effectively saying he was wrong. However, that ended up being as clear as mud to us.”

From Seattle Times

And yet again, the picture there is clear as mud.

From Reuters

“I’ve told some people very close to me: This is clear as mud. There’s some vagueness to it. So I want to make sure I completely understand.”

From Washington Times

Related Words

• baffling
• impenetrable
• inconceivable
• mystifying
• opaque
• puzzling
• unfathomable
• unimaginable
• unintelligible