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
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 blacken
The Israeli strikes on oil facilities sparked massive pillars of fire and blackened the skies above Tehran.
—
Npr Staff, NPR, 11 Mar. 2026
Once a sky-blue democracy is restored, may Trump’s days of infamy be ruled illegitimate and his name and legacy duly tainted by all of history, darkly blackened or cautiously reddened in the honest records that this twerp and his twisted cohorts have conspired so heinously to whitewash.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
After Mitchell’s arrest, the sheriff’s department released a photo of him, handcuffed, his face still blackened.
—USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
The Sepulveda Basin has seen numerous brush fires in recent years, with the most being the Burbank fire in August 2024, which blackened 75 acres of almost entirely invasive, nonnative plants.
—Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Npr Staff, NPR, 11 Mar. 2026
Once a sky-blue democracy is restored, may Trump’s days of infamy be ruled illegitimate and his name and legacy duly tainted by all of history, darkly blackened or cautiously reddened in the honest records that this twerp and his twisted cohorts have conspired so heinously to whitewash.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
After Mitchell’s arrest, the sheriff’s department released a photo of him, handcuffed, his face still blackened.
—USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
The Sepulveda Basin has seen numerous brush fires in recent years, with the most being the Burbank fire in August 2024, which blackened 75 acres of almost entirely invasive, nonnative plants.
—Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blacken
Verb
-
Being a part of Infowars was not just a temporary sacrifice, but an irrevocable black mark on all of us, and according to Jones, working alongside him would forever stain our résumés and limit our prospects.—
Josh Owens,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Make sure the deck is completely dry before staining or sealing it.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
The film has also helped resuscitate a dwindling population of ticket-goers hoping for a feel-good escape-hatch picture in the midst of darkening times and popcorn machines.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The image below shows the SLS freeing itself of Earth, hauling the Artemis 2 mission to the darkening skies above Florida.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades similar to Bessette-Kennedy’s, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Traynere said after the hearing the issues were all about politics and an attempt to smear her.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whose term featured record numbers of disappearances and homicides, complained that political adversaries were exaggerating the problem to smear his reputation and legacy.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Maritime tracking isn't foolproof, as ships can spoof or manipulate tracking systems to obscure their origin, destination and cargo.—
Steve Beynon,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
At the same time, Iran has become adapt at using chains of digital wallets to obscure crypto funds tied to the regime.—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And thus one of the more wholesome and fun events in the White House calendar was besmirched by a man who simply cannot stop with the zero-sum partisan nonsense even when surrounded by impressionable young faces.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Tiger Woods is reportedly reeling after his latest DUI arrest, humiliated by the fallout.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Attorneys representing Butler, Darnbrough, the Commonwealth and the Bristol District Attorney’s Office at the Thursday status hearing all argued the letters lacked veracity, contained false allegations meant to humiliate and embarrass Butler and Darnbrough, and should not be disclosed.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blacken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blacken. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
