to make a situation unnecessarily complicated and less clear: His suggestions just muddied the waters further, rather than helping the situation.

What is the meaning of idiom muddy the waters?

Confuse the issue, as in Bringing up one irrelevant fact after another, he succeeded in muddying the waters. This metaphoric expression, alluding to making a pond or stream turbid by stirring up mud from the bottom, was first recorded in 1837.

How do you use muddy the waters?

Example sentences

Whenever I'm having an argument with my wife, she jumps in the conversation to muddy the waters. — Wait a while. If you release another statement now you'll only muddy the waters. — Unfortunately, the results of this new survey really muddy the waters.