1
as in to stain
to make dirty
blackened the towels with their dirty hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to libel
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the politician maliciously blackened his opponent's reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to darken
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
thick smoke from the forest fires blackened the sky for many miles
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blacken
While old shoes washing ashore might sound unique, this isn’t the first time that these leather shoes — well-preserved and blackened with time — have been found in the area.
—
Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 8 Jan. 2026
Juicy, whole lobster served grilled or blackened is best, though the menu at this famous haunt features every possible elaboration of the dish.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
According to Applebee's website, menu items include bourbon street chicken and shrimp, hot honey glazed chicken and blackened Cajun salmon.
—Cathy Kozlowicz, jsonline.com, 19 Dec. 2025
The doors were all blackened down.
—Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 8 Jan. 2026
Juicy, whole lobster served grilled or blackened is best, though the menu at this famous haunt features every possible elaboration of the dish.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
According to Applebee's website, menu items include bourbon street chicken and shrimp, hot honey glazed chicken and blackened Cajun salmon.
—Cathy Kozlowicz, jsonline.com, 19 Dec. 2025
The doors were all blackened down.
—Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blacken
Verb
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This will keep the color from staining your hands and is a fun, sensory activity for your kids.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
20 Jan. 2026
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Opt for a material that’s white washed or stained for a farmhouse look.—
Rachel Fletcher,
Architectural Digest,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In 2022, Manhattan Federal Judge Jed Rakoff, who presided over both trials, decided The Times was not liable for defamation while jurors were deliberating, that the error amounted to unfortunate editorializing but not libel.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2025
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As a new, inexpensive Chevrolet appeared in 1927 and The Dearborn Independent was sued for libeling a number of Jewish businessmen, Ford threw in the towel and apologized.—
George Pendle,
airmail.news,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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At these delightfully divey watering holes, every visible surface is covered in dollars scribbled with the initials, anniversaries, hometowns, inside jokes, dates, or names of anyone who has darkened the doors of that particular bar over the past fifty years—or maybe just the past week.—
Skye Sherman,
Southern Living,
21 Jan. 2026
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Back then, Vine jokes, Harambe memes, and Snapchat filters could sweep through timelines in a way that made the internet feel weirdly communal, even as politics darkened the horizon.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
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Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.—
Adam Roy,
Outside,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Cofounder says he was smeared after quitting.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
21 Jan. 2026
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This will lead to smearing dust particles around instead of picking them up, which is where a wet cloth comes into play.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The regime imposed an internet blackout to obscure the scale of violence, and has admitted to around 2,000 deaths.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
20 Jan. 2026
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Where classifications obscure meaningful differences, the risk is that regulation becomes either overinclusive or ineffective, imposing burdens that do not address actual risks while failing to account for those that do.—
Susie Violet Ward,
Forbes.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kelly believes a book like this hasn’t been written before because people weren’t ready to hear the truth – as though acknowledging these famous people’s complete life experiences would be besmirching their legacies.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
12 Jan. 2026
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The eggs were fluffy, lacking any of the rubbery slop that besmirches lesser breakfast burritos.—
Carolyn Burt,
Oc Register,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
And videotaping it to humiliate them.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Dec. 2025
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She had never been arrested before and felt humiliated when her mugshot was plastered all over the news after her arrest.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blacken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blacken. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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