DARKEN Synonyms: 131 Similar and Opposite Words

darken

verb

ˈdär-kən

Definition of darken

as in to frown

to take on a gloomy or forbidding look his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to fade

to grow dark the sky darkened as a storm moved in

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to obscure

to make dark, dim, or indistinct years of accumulated grime have darkened the painting until it can barely be seen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to mar

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of darken During a partial lunar eclipse that peaked just after midnight on Friday, Earth’s shadow darkened parts of the moon’s visible surface. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 By Ryan Spencer, Summit Daily As millions of birds start to head south for the winter, Coloradans are turning off outdoor lights to help darken the path for these nocturnal migrators. — The Summit Daily, Denver Post, 26 Aug. 2026 The planet becomes easier to identify as the sky darkens, making the best time for viewing during the late-night and early-morning hours. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026 However, they can be ordered with Transitions lenses that darken outdoors and clear up inside. — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for darken

Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken

Verb

Looking on was Trooper Major, body camera footage shows, frowning in the sun as the deputies followed guidance from a portable defibrillator device.

— Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
Coaches taught the sport, but they were supposed to let the kids run the show during the games, with overzealous parenting frowned on.

— Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of frown

Verb

Some members of the Fed’s interest-rate setting committee still expect inflation, outside of food and energy, to fade over time and may not feel a rate hike is necessary.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
Reid Detmers struck out eight over six innings, and Jose Siri and Denzer Guzman each drove in two runs to help the Angels beat the fading Seattle Mariners 6-4 on Monday night.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of fade

Verb

What’s at issue is collateral damage, a term that came into use during the Vietnam War to obscure, through abstraction, that masses of civilians were being systematically blown to pieces.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
The poster also obscured the system’s dynamic tracking accuracy.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of obscure

Verb

Another interesting option is Yetur Gross-Matos, whose recent stint with the 49ers was marred by a knee issue.

— Matt Barrows, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
The latter track takes overt inspiration from Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette, as Jepsen beckons her love to engage in life’s vices with her, like marring bedsheets with fruit stains and dashing nude through the garden.

— Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of mar

Verb

There are also three shields on the top deck, high up where everyone can stare accusatorily at whoever is brazen enough to grab one.

— Alice Burton, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
The easy, and perhaps reflexive, thing for a Falcons fan to do upon hearing that quarterback Cooper Rush will start Sunday would be to stare vacantly and await defeat.

— Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of stare

Verb

With minimal humidity, near-perfect clear-sky frequency and vast empty horizons, Namibia offers the kind of slow, immersive darkness that makes dusking feel less like a trend and more like a return to something ancient.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
The park is open from daylight to dusk for visitors and 24/7 for campers.

— Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 15 Jan. 2026

Definition of dusk

Verb

As tensions rise and boundaries begin to blur, their grandmother’s frail presence takes on an increasingly disturbing quality, turning a once-idyllic summer into a haunting passage into adulthood.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
Greene, who loves to blur the boundaries between fiction and nonfiction, uses this premise as a way to tenderly explore these people’s lives.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of blur

Verb

And with 10 games remaining, the Royals have a chance to spoil the playoff hopes of a few teams still on their schedule.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026
That’s 10 games against teams that don’t have much to play for, aside from spoiling Toronto’s season.

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of spoil

Browse Nearby Words

dark ages

darken

darkened

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Style

“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darken. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of darken

verb

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