darkened; darkening
ˈdär-kə-niŋ 
1
: to grow dark : become obscured
the skies were darkening
2
: to become gloomy
his mood darkened
1
: to make dark
2
: to make less clear : obscure
the financial crisis darkened the future of the company
4
: to cast a gloom over
5
: to make of darker color
Examples of darken in a Sentence
The sky darkened and it started to rain.
Her face darkens to a deep red when she gets angry.
The wood will darken as it ages.
The bad news darkened his mood.
The last days of her life were darkened by illness.
His mood darkened after he heard the bad news.
Recent Examples on the Web
On these blocks, darkened by the presence of heavily armed federal agents, Minnesotans describe routine movements as calculated risks, unsure which block might erupt into confrontation.
—
Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 2 Feb. 2026
But as the camera crew darkened the arena, Malinin was isolated in a spotlight.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
My fear is that the murder of a poet on the streets of Minneapolis will encourage you to darken.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
While only a handful of the Pleiades' brightest stars are visible from city centres, more of the cluster's 1,000-strong population become visible as skies darken.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for darken
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Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 2 Feb. 2026
But as the camera crew darkened the arena, Malinin was isolated in a spotlight.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
My fear is that the murder of a poet on the streets of Minneapolis will encourage you to darken.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
While only a handful of the Pleiades' brightest stars are visible from city centres, more of the cluster's 1,000-strong population become visible as skies darken.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for darken
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darken. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
darken
verb
dark·en
ˈdär-kən
darkened; darkening
ˈdärk-(ə-)niŋ
1
: to make or grow dark or darker
the sky darkened
2
: to make or become gloomy or forbidding
her face darkened in anger
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