as in stained
not clean
the church's blackened ceiling is the result of centuries of candle smoke
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in dirtied
to make dirty
blackened the towels with their dirty hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smeared
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the politician maliciously blackened his opponent's reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in darkened
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 blackened
Erinne Magee, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Sep. 2022
His blackened execution pyre stands in a barren field, a leitmotif driven like a stake through the heart of the film.
—Elle Carroll, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2021
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 blackened
Adjective
Menu highlights there include sesame guava toast, conch salad, and a blackened shrimp club wrap.
—Erinne Magee, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Sep. 2022
His blackened execution pyre stands in a barren field, a leitmotif driven like a stake through the heart of the film.
—Elle Carroll, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2021
Verb
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 blackened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackened
Adjective
-
The guest-only Chapel Club has a more plush, salon-like feel and there’s more than a hint of naughtiness with stained glass windows casting color onto the sensual artworks.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Jan. 2026
-
How To Remove Types Of Mattress Stains Step-By-Step Vacuum the mattress and stained area.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Tears and lemonade are spilled; mud and cake get smeared into the rug; confetti balloons are popped one by one, showering elated children in rainbow-paper flakes.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
-
His nose is smeared with a white strip of sun cream.—
Molly Aitken,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
But that fall, his mood darkened.—
Coley Gallagher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This neighborhood, peopled almost entirely by the people who claim to have been driven from Poland and Russia, is the eyesore of New York and perhaps the filthiest place on the western continent.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Rodents, roaches, flies and knives stored in filthy places were among the myriad violations on this week’s Sick and Shut Down List of South Florida restaurants that failed state inspection.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Or, show your burning desire with Byredo’s Burning Rose Candle and a refillable lipstick set (which will be lovingly smudged by the end of the night).—
Essence,
Essence,
30 Jan. 2026
-
In 2026, makeup artists predict a makeup rebellion, with perfectly imperfect glitter shadow smudged across lids, colorful mascara coating lashes, and ultra-pigmented lipsticks that stand out even further against a backdrop of velvety, natural-looking skin.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Unfortunately, a lot of the homes near Guthrie's residence are far from the street and are obscured by shrubbery, Siminoff said, so collecting video data of cars on the road might be hard in this case.—
Liz Kreutz,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The result of this was that the view of the ball was often obscured when shots went up.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Hues like blush and dusty rose pair well with sandy neutrals, soft grays, and even more saturated colors like teal and fuchsia.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Many objects are very dusty, many objects are located behind dust-rich regions of our own galaxy, and dust itself is a physical object made out of particles with a range of grain sizes.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blackened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackened. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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