Question of the Day #1337

Coronavirus: Mixed messages muddy the waters

From the headline of this article at BBC.com.

  上記の文で、muddy the watersの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "muddy the waters" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〔波風を立てて事態を〕混乱させる◆【反】calm the waters

   

Answer

According to :

To introduce something, typically information, to an issue or situation that makes it less clear or more confusing.

 

Examples

1. Bringing up one irrelevant fact after another, he succeeded in muddying the waters.
2. Experts say Beijing is seeking to bring non-Chinese audiences into the dispute about Covid-19 origins to further muddy the waters. From BBC
3. But those messages “work to muddy the waters to the same end — which is to stop action on climate change,” he said. From New York Times
4. Don't muddy the waters with unrelated issues—we need to focus on this one problem.
5. The last witness's testimony has really muddied the water for the prosecution's case against the defendant.

   

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