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 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
Contrast ratio is defined as the brightness difference between the brightest white tones and the darkest blacks, so this implies that the Studio Display XDR can turn off (fully blacken) the pixels within dimming zones.
—Tony Hoffman, PC Magazine, 5 Mar. 2026
The venerable monk was draped in his maroon and saffron robe, his bare feet looking ashen with dust, a few of his toes still blackened from his arduous walk.
—Sarah Hepola, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
As the salmon blackens in a skillet, the spices awaken, encrusting the fish in peppery piquant.
—The Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Contrast ratio is defined as the brightness difference between the brightest white tones and the darkest blacks, so this implies that the Studio Display XDR can turn off (fully blacken) the pixels within dimming zones.
—Tony Hoffman, PC Magazine, 5 Mar. 2026
The venerable monk was draped in his maroon and saffron robe, his bare feet looking ashen with dust, a few of his toes still blackened from his arduous walk.
—Sarah Hepola, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
As the salmon blackens in a skillet, the spices awaken, encrusting the fish in peppery piquant.
—The Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blacken
Verb
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The person recording it zooms in on a pink backpack that appears to be stained with blood.—
Marin Scott,
NBC news,
24 Mar. 2026
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However, a deep clean can also breathe new life into your floors if they aren’t scratched or stained.—
Dan Simms,
USA Today,
23 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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Oh, and the grief was almost a person of its own, darkening the minds of some of the characters as much as any lightless corridor could darken a space.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
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Bake, tossing halfway through, until vegetables have shrunk and tomato paste is darkened and starting to stick to baking sheet, 25–30 minutes.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
22 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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Mullin did not apologize for his remarks and instead accused Paul of smearing his character.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
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The pigment lasts all day without smearing.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Light pollution can obscure a comet’s glow, so use a light pollution map, or consider dark-sky getaways like the Oregon Outback or Big Bend, to enhance the show.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Outside,
23 Mar. 2026
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Frankly, it’s been hard to keep up—and the BlackRock CEO wrote that the drama and uncertainty threatened by day-to-day headlines may be obscuring longer-term trends.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
23 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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And unlike some some prank shows, its intentions are good, its attitude humane — the entire purpose of the show is to bring out the best in its unsuspecting star, not to humiliate him.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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As 1994 approached, the United States was on the verge of hosting the World Cup — but national soccer officials were terrified that the home team was about to humiliate itself on a global stage.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blacken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blacken. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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