1
as in to stain
to make dirty
blackened the towels with their dirty hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blacken
The building burned to the ground and the soil has been scraped, but that blackened sago palm is still there, sprouting tons of new growth.
—
Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
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
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
Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
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
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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Under the late afternoon clouds, the water appears murky, too dark to hold a reflection of the soot- and algae-stained warehouses on the pier.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
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This rust can stain your shower or sink and add a distinctly metallic taste to your water.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 Mar. 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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The city largely shut down as residents and tourists ran for cover and plumes of smoke from fires darkened the Pacific vista.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
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The image was captured shortly after Earth's curved inner shadow began its slow journey across the lunar disk, darkening the lunar seas sprawling across the western portion of its surface.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Grainy mustard smeared on a chunk of corned beef is delicious too.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Mar. 2026
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This helps remove dirt, dust, skin cells, pet hair, and other debris that could otherwise smear during the wet cleaning.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, at least 100 people attended the eclipse watch party on their outdoor deck, and caught several early glimpses until the fog rolled in and obscured the main event.—
Laura A. Oda,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Where at the beginning of the period, the boyish, figure-obscuring flapper dress was the au courant silhouette, by the end, fashion was shifting toward the more body-conscious bias cut.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
2 Mar. 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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Most casual fans could spend their entire lives studying a library’s worth of chess theory, only to still be routinely humiliated by competitive players.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
26 Feb. 2026
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Fatme feels humiliated, but Toha is too busy plotting how to return from her rundown village near the Nile.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blacken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blacken. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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