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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 13 Jan. 2026
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
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
Now, the Beth Israel synagogue is indefinitely closed, its historic interiors blackened with ash, after authorities say a man set a fire in the building’s library in the early hours of Saturday morning.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 13 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for blackened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackened
Adjective
-
Place a dab of olive oil on a soft cloth and gently rub the stained area.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The stained glass of the smoking room had had a red hue based on the Olympic, but was changed to yellow based on the Titanic artifacts.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Mar. 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
-
Grainy mustard smeared on a chunk of corned beef is delicious too.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Cops called to the scene found blood smeared on the stairwell from the third floor to the second, and more blood smeared on the walls in the second-floor hallway.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
More importantly, the romance of the blockade seems to have darkened the German public’s opinion of the coal industry, hastening the nation’s green transition.—
Robert Moor,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Kelli Bryant, 34, was facing three counts each of child abuse related to allegedly forcing her three children, a 15-year-old boy and a 13- and 12-year-old girl, to live in unbearable, filthy conditions in an apartment on Lydia Lane.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Other parts of the ballpark, including the exterior concourse and entrances, were also impacted by the filthy leaks, which stunk to high heaven.—
Gary Phillips,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, at the Milan Fashion Week show, the star embraced an edgy aesthetic with a messy low ponytail and smudged black eyeliner with smoky navy eyeshadow.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Then move on to large appliance fronts—specifically, those stainless steel fridges and ovens that are easily smudged.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In some cases, the department inadvertently released nude photos showing the faces of potential victims as well as names, email addresses and other identifying information that was either unredacted or not fully obscured.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
In some cases, the department inadvertently released nude photos showing the faces of potential possible victims as well as names, email addresses and other identifying information that was either unredacted or not fully obscured.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The concern followed Liam Conejo Ramos and his father when they were sent to south Texas' Dilley Immigration Processing Center, surrounded by chain-link fences on a dusty plain about 75 miles south of San Antonio.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The concern followed Liam Conejo Ramos and his father when they were sent to Dilley, surrounded by chain-link fences on a dusty plain about 75 miles south of San Antonio.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blackened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackened. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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