Obfuscate

To obfuscate is to render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. Obfuscation is the act of covering up, often seen in the attempts of politicians to avoid expressing or admitting the truth of an embarrassing or damaging fact, or the arguments of attorneys to invalidate damaging testimonies of witnesses for the defense or for the prosecution. Circumlocution is sometimes an attempt at obfuscation by refusing or declining to give a direct answer to a question. In casual conversation, it is found in the avoidance of confirming or denying what is said about oneself or about others.

Examples:
"it is more likely to obfuscate people than enlighten them"
"the spelling changes will deform some familiar words and obfuscate their etymological origins"

Synonyms: mislead, misdirect, obscure, confuse, make obscure/unclear, blur, muddle, jumble, complicate, garble, muddy, cloud, befog, muddy the waters, bewilder (someone), mystify, puzzle, perplex, baffle, confound, bemuse, befuddle, nonplus, flummox.