1
as in dark
a time or place of little or no light
the raiding party snuck up under cover of darkness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguity
the quality or state of having a veiled or uncertain meaning
the darkness of certain passages in the Book of Revelation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in night
the time from sunset to sunrise when there is no visible sunlight
let's wait for darkness before telling ghost stories
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 darkness
Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced by the body to help regulate the sleep-wake cycle; typically, its levels increase during darkness and decrease during daylight, mirroring natural human circadian rhythms.
—
Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The trucks were mounted with heavy machine guns and were moving in convoys with weapons firing into the darkness as armed men shouted commands.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026
To form flower buds, the Easter cactus requires 12 to 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness for the duration of 8 to 12 weeks.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 21 Jan. 2026
So some Hancock Park residents — faced with a nearly yearlong wait before their streets emerge from the darkness — have tried to come up with their own solutions.
—Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for darkness
Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The trucks were mounted with heavy machine guns and were moving in convoys with weapons firing into the darkness as armed men shouted commands.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026
To form flower buds, the Easter cactus requires 12 to 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness for the duration of 8 to 12 weeks.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 21 Jan. 2026
So some Hancock Park residents — faced with a nearly yearlong wait before their streets emerge from the darkness — have tried to come up with their own solutions.
—Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for darkness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkness
Noun
-
For pure spectacle, Mardi Gras World reveals how the city’s legendary floats come alive; Vue Orleans delivers 360-degree views and smart interactive storytelling; and New Orleans Secrets tours takes you inside haunted buildings after dark for a paranormal experience with real atmospheric bite.—
Sophie Morgan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Life’s basic chemistry may start not in warm ponds on young planets but in the icy dark between the stars.—
William A. Haseltine,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But probabilities are less sexy than proclamations, ambiguities less attractive than assurances—or so the rising number of storm-hyping accounts on social media seem to suggest.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Detectives eventually identify one man as a likely suspect, though he is ultimately not charged, resulting in ambiguity that continues to this day.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Firefighters also worked through the night to put out fires in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, where two people were injured, officials said.—
AAMER MADHANI AND SUSIE BLANN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
-
An explosion was reported at a metal fabricating plant on Thursday night in Pennsylvania, according to officials.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The image appears to show Ketter moving through a cloud of tear gas during a demonstration following the killing of Alex Pretti, which happened just minutes away from his store.—
Nick Lunemann,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
That leaves them out of pocket, at risk of reputational damage and in danger of losing customers who blame them, rather than the cloud services provider, for the problem.—
David Prosser,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The changes also allowed Mingo to step out of the shadows cast by André DeShields and Richard Pryor, who played the Wiz in the original Broadway show and 1978 movie adaptation, and make the role his own.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
7 Jan. 2026
-
In it, prisoners trapped inside a cave perceive the world only through shadows cast by outside objects.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This section of Florida lives and breathes space and the triple tragedy cast a noticeable pall over residents of spaceport communities.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
-
There’s a pall that’s been cast over the city.—
Dave Campbell,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Passengers get to see Earth against the blackness of space and experience a few minutes of weightlessness.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
18 Dec. 2025
-
The thrill of pushing the pace on terrain that remained shrouded in blackness until illuminated two seconds before our wheels were suddenly navigating its rocks and cliffs and cactus pushed all else from the mental spotlight.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
That intrigue and mysteriousness still rest in the canyon walls today.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Darkness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkness. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
