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
Some discolored areas on the bones that were not charred may have been blackened by smoke exposure, according to the study.
—
Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
The name comes from how their interior walls were blackened from burning peat.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 14 Sep. 2025
High-Heat-Safe Alternatives While enameled cast-iron cookware is excellent to use for braising, roasting, baking, or gentle stovetop cooking, certain high heat applications like searing steak or blackening fish are best done in other types of pans, like traditional cast iron or stainless steel.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025
Her boyfriend had hit her hard enough to blacken her eye.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
The name comes from how their interior walls were blackened from burning peat.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 14 Sep. 2025
High-Heat-Safe Alternatives While enameled cast-iron cookware is excellent to use for braising, roasting, baking, or gentle stovetop cooking, certain high heat applications like searing steak or blackening fish are best done in other types of pans, like traditional cast iron or stainless steel.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025
Her boyfriend had hit her hard enough to blacken her eye.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blacken
Verb
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Skipping regular washes—Letting white towels sit too long between washes gives body oils, makeup, and mildew more time to settle into the fibers and stain them permanently.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
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For years, the fashion industry’s color palette has come at a steep price—plastic-heavy pigments, toxic dyes and dirty processes that stain more than fabric.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
1 Oct. 2025
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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When the sky darkens, her stomach clenches.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
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With an athlete’s discipline, Blass refused to let his pitching darken his mood at home.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At Dilara Findikoglu, models looked like ladies in waiting that had risen from the dead; wearing antiquated corsetry that was dirtied and torn.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
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As more success suddenly comes his way, McKinstry has remained the same, friendly and chuckling at his locker, dirtying his jersey and pestering opponents on the field.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Blood was smeared throughout the business.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
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After smearing Tylenol, the president's unscripted remarks quickly veered into an incoherent rant linking vaccines to autism as well.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But this becomes nearly impossible when a dense medium obscures the object.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
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The other names on the list were obscured, leading to widespread fan speculation about his future opponents.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Conservative leaders and administrations have besmirched the rule of law in the Republic's gravest scandals; Teapot Dome under Harding, Watergate under Nixon, Iran–Contra under Reagan, and multiple scandals in the Trump era.—
Allan J. Lichtman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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Trump has focused on tourist-friendly areas being besmirched by crime.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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An Italian activist who was part of the Gaza aid flotilla and subsequently detained by Israel has described allegations of being mistreated and humiliated while in Israeli custody, with little access to legal assistance.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
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Even its most mean-spirited plotline, in which a married couple assemble a fake theater production to humiliate their ex-neighbor whose noisiness prompted them to move, is presented as more of a gentle exercise in silliness than anything truly vindictive.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blacken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blacken. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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