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
There's no better tool for making biscuits, cornbread, or blackened chicken than a cast-iron skillet.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
Signs of overfeeding include white crust on the pot or media, brown, scorched leaf tips, mushy or blackened roots, stunted growth, lack of blooms, and leaf drop.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 19 Jan. 2026
In all, more than 8,000 California wildfires blackened 525,223 acres, killed 31 people and burned 16,512 structures in the past year, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
Signs of overfeeding include white crust on the pot or media, brown, scorched leaf tips, mushy or blackened roots, stunted growth, lack of blooms, and leaf drop.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 19 Jan. 2026
In all, more than 8,000 California wildfires blackened 525,223 acres, killed 31 people and burned 16,512 structures in the past year, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blacken
Verb
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Classic raised garden beds made of wood and stained to protect them from the elements are a good way to pack a lot of plants into a small space.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Feb. 2026
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Liu says her favorite flavor is the dark chocolate mochi, coated in enough cocoa powder to stain your fingers and likely your shirt.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 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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Hope is a dimming ember lighting our ever-darkening path.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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The sky has darkened to a deep, clear blue, although that slow, slow sunset still burns orange on the horizon, and lamps are now glowing around the lagoon, as if set for a candlelit dinner.—
Rick Jordan,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The spoon even comes with measuring lines for a teaspoon and tablespoon, saving you from having to dirty another utensil.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
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The adventurous actress dirties up her frock and face to play the village pariah, who reeks of fish and would be no man’s idea of a suitable wife, except perhaps the one-eyed bum who sleeps in the town square.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The attorneys went on to argue that Pavlovich’s lawsuits were the culmination of a plan to smear Gaiman and that any legal disputes should be resolved in New Zealand, not the United States.—
Todd Richmond,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
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As a result, calls for action have been met with suspicion, with some online commentators accusing feminists of making up MaskPark as a way to smear Chinese men.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The individual, their face covered in a ski mask, appears to fiddle with the camera with a gloved hand before turning away to look for something to obscure the lens.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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But despite the new program’s promising rhetoric, the scientific framing of the announcement obscures a deeper policy problem.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Imagine having the gall to besmirch the name of a young mother killed for trying to speak up for her neighbors or of an ICU nurse shot in the back for trying to tend to a woman who had been pepper-sprayed in the face.—
Sasha Abramsky,
Washington Post,
2 Feb. 2026
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The lack of awards buzz shouldn’t besmirch Amanda Seyfried’s performance here, though, which is great.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At one point at the table, Jane ran a fork down the side of Robert's face, leaving red lines, humiliating him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
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Days after the segment was recorded, Schmitz shot Amedure to death, then confessed to the murder, saying he'd been humiliated on national TV.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blacken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blacken. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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