1
as in shade
partial darkness due to the obstruction of light rays
the valley was in shadow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in black
shadows plural
a time or place of little or no light
lurking in the shadows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in trace
a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished
a run-down mansion that is only a shadow of its former glory
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in glimmer
a very small amount
not even a shadow of a doubt about the defendant's guilt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people
rumors of a shadow haunting the castle
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to chase
to go after or on the track of
shadowing the suspect to see what he was up to
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
thickening clouds shadowed the countryside
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 shadow
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
To be a rancher in the Malpai area is to live with restraint, to operate under the shadow of the future so that ranching remains sustainable for generations.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
This year, funnel week coincided with school breaks around the state, leading lawmakers to rise on the floor and recognize family members, business owners and students job shadowing them for the day.
—Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shadow
Noun
That in-the-shadows violence permeates all institutions, from prisons to governmental offices.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
To be a rancher in the Malpai area is to live with restraint, to operate under the shadow of the future so that ranching remains sustainable for generations.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
Borelli, who made his directorial debut with the short Igins last June, shadowed Grey’s director/executive producer Allen (who also plays Catherine Fox on the show) for 3+ years.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
This year, funnel week coincided with school breaks around the state, leading lawmakers to rise on the floor and recognize family members, business owners and students job shadowing them for the day.
—Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shadow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shadow
Noun
-
For European spring/summer 2026, Dacia adds a new wraparound 10 x 10-foot (3 x 3-m) awning to the lineup, bringing some always-welcome shade to vehicular base camp.—
C.C. Weiss
March 24,
New Atlas,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen threw some shade to former teammate Michael Jordan in a new pop commercial.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Relieved of their blindfolds, the men now wore heavy rucksacks filled with colored rocks representing their anger (red), guilt and shame (black), and sadness (blue).—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Winner of the 2022 Tony Award for Best Play, the taut, engrossing and beautifully scripted play is evocatively and creatively staged by director Kim Strassburger in an arena-style production in Cygnet’s black-box Dottie Studio Theatre.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Forecasters say San Diego International Airport will finish the month with only a trace of rain.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Much of that shift traces back to Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions, or ALE.—
Laura Dannen Redman,
Robb Report,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Following three straight 100-loss seasons that led to a front-office house cleaning, Rockies fans are peering down the road for glimmers of hope.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Thus, Archer says the book offers a glimmer of hope to its readers.—
Gqlshare,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
When Wei’s Cantonese left its Meridian ghost-kitchen building and paused business — vowing to seek another location later — fans were understandably disappointed.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Listen to the full episode to hear about the ghost-hunting groups that rose up to fight them, and how ghost hoaxing was the precursor to that terrifying scary clown trend from 2016.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Its home screen’s hourly forecast consists of temperatures, weather icons, and illustrative background visuals, such as gloomy rain clouds, that sometimes fail to match the view out the window.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
-
While there will be many more clouds than on Tuesday, the chance of rain is very low.—
Bill Kelly,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Her father, Bernard, had run away from his own parents at fourteen to chase his version of the American Dream.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
But there isn’t one collective goal for this team to chase over the next 17 days.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Light pollution can obscure a comet’s glow, so use a light pollution map, or consider dark-sky getaways like the Oregon Outback or Big Bend, to enhance the show.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Outside,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Frankly, it’s been hard to keep up—and the BlackRock CEO wrote that the drama and uncertainty threatened by day-to-day headlines may be obscuring longer-term trends.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shadow. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
