the dark

noun

1
: a state in which no light can be seen
She stumbled around in the dark until she finally found the light switch.
He's 12 years old and still afraid of the dark.
2
: a place where little or no light can be seen
The burglars hid in the dark between the two buildings.
He bought the kids special rings that glow in the dark.
3
: a state in which something is hidden or kept secret
Most of their deals were made in the dark.
4
: a state of not knowing about something
I'm in the dark about the agreement.
The public was kept in the dark about the meeting.

Examples of the dark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Arriving home in the dark after work or dinners out is inevitable, but finding the front door doesn’t have to be a treacherous experience for you or your guests. Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025 Several bright craters are visible brightening the dark lunar maria that cover swathes of the lunar surface, with impact ejecta streaking outward from some of the younger sites. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 7 Sep. 2025 Honestly, being asked to stand without my smartphone in the dark for 57 minutes was a lot but then, maybe that was intentional. Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025 Identity theft companies can monitor personal information – like your Social Security Number (SSN), phone number and email address – and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for the dark

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The dark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20dark. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!