1
2
as in dark
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
the Friday of the stock market crash was indeed a black day for the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
on a black night such as this, the imagination runs wild
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in blackened
not clean
after mopping the floor, the water in the bucket was black
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in blackness
a time or place of little or no light
we had to find our way on back roads in the black of night
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 black
India Roby, Glamour, 8 June 2026
The dress featured a deep plunging neckline which extended past her navel and a large black embellishment holding the front of the dress together.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026
Kathleen Felton, Washington Post, 3 June 2026
Choose from 20 different colors, from classic black to an earthy green camo print.
—Kate Donovan, Southern Living, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for black
Adjective
Here are our favorite tips on what to wear with black jeans for summer 2026.
—India Roby, Glamour, 8 June 2026
The dress featured a deep plunging neckline which extended past her navel and a large black embellishment holding the front of the dress together.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026
Noun
Whether bright red, jet black or a shade in between, natural hair color is determined by how much melanin is in your hair.
—Kathleen Felton, Washington Post, 3 June 2026
Choose from 20 different colors, from classic black to an earthy green camo print.
—Kate Donovan, Southern Living, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for black
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black
Adjective
-
The deluxe and premier suites are striking and distinctly futuristic, with smooth lines and walnut and ebony wood paneling bringing a yacht-like feel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
-
Told with exacting restraint yet as layered as the lacquer on an ebony Biedermeier console, this forms a loose triptych with Pawlikowski’s last two features, Ida and Cold War, both of which were set at least partly behind the Iron Curtain.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Its dark terrain is constantly changing due to lava flows from Kilauea or Mauna Loa – two of the most active volcanoes in the world, according to the National Park Service website.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Some find the last scene ambiguous, multivalent; some dark; others comic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
She’s talked up her push to convert darkened streetlights, many of them stripped of their copper wire, to solar power.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
-
In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Dec. 2022
Noun
-
From individual missions to tours aboard the ISS, video games have featured surprisingly often in the inky blackness of space.—
William Worrall,
Space.com,
30 May 2026
-
Lighting the mood Production design includes dramatic lighting effects, intensely bright (oof, that spotlight) to sudden pitch-blackness.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
But in 2023, the dissent grew louder, leading a group of Finnish artists to boycott Helsinki’s Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, which had previously received money from the Zabludowiczes and which subsequently cut ties with the collectors.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
27 May 2026
-
Members at a Brooklyn food cooperative voted in favor of a controversial proposal to boycott Israeli goods during an online meeting Tuesday night amid deepening divisions across NYC over Israel and Palestine.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Earlier this season, Jackie and Shadow laid four eggs, but two were destroyed during a raven attack.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Earlier this season, the pair laid four eggs, but two were destroyed during a raven attack.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Gray-to-White Gradient Form a subtle gradient by choosing a soft white upper cabinet shade, a pale gray stone backsplash, and a more medium gray lower cabinet color.—
Lauren Jones,
The Spruce,
6 June 2026
-
The couple began by painting the trim in the living room Farrow & Ball’s Card Room Green, a light gray-green Elizabeth says was comfortably within her wheelhouse.—
Ella Field,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Black.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
