blackening 1 of 2

blackening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of blacken
1
2
3
4
as in fading
to grow dark the auditorium blackened suddenly, and a spotlighted performer appeared alone on stage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of blackening
Noun
Temple leaves the tail shell on the end of the shrimp to protect the tender tip in the blackening process. Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2021 Drizzle lime juice over tilapia, season with 1/2 tsp salt, and dip in blackening seasoning. Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, 31 Mar. 2020 Like Dorian Gray’s portrait, his face registered the blackening of Walt’s soul. Judy Berman, Time, 11 Oct. 2019 He and manager Dave Bristol went at it one day at the yard, with the manager blackening The Count’s eye. Gary Peterson, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2019 Fenolio came across an academic journal with a paper about a particular species of frog that had faced similar deaths — a blackening and drying of the skin followed by a quick demise. Josh Baugh, ExpressNews.com, 8 July 2019 The floors were free from the blackening caused by fire. National Geographic, 26 Mar. 2019 Whole villages were nearly wiped out, and in total, some 60 percent of Europe's population would succumb to the disease, which was characterized by an extreme swelling of the lymph nodes and the gradual blackening of the fingertips and toes as the tissues died. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2016 Any blackening or a brown shade on the switch or outlet is cause for concern. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 29 Apr. 2016
Verb
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 Each footstep sent up clouds of dust and ash, coating everything, including my mouth and teeth, in fine grit, blackening my snot and saliva. River Selby august 25, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackening
Noun
  • Apart from the libel suits, which the President can add teeth to by threatening regulatory sanctions or by slow-walking mergers and other business deals that require government approval, this is the persecution of people and organizations based on point of view.
    Louis Menand, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Ressa knows a thing or two about fighting a government that is trying to silence the free press; in the Philippines, she was arrested and later found guilty of libel due to the fact that Rappler was critical of then-President Rodrigo Duterte.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • It’s made with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, and it can even be paired with your favorite lip balm or gloss — without staining the applicator — for an extra boost of moisture.
    Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
  • As a natural stone, quartzite should be sealed to prevent staining.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • Ciarlo has been a beauty aficionado from her early age of sneaking into her mother's makeup drawer and smearing Joker-esque lipstick on her face.
    Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Other Mommy is described as a supernatural trip into the darkening world of a young girl as her family, and their home, are haunted by a sinister entity that is determined to take up residence inside her.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The resulting scorching ash cloud reached as high as 16 miles into the atmosphere, darkening the sky and causing homes and businesses as far as 300 miles away to close.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Last week, a filing in the defamation case against Powell also showed the parties seeking voluntary dismissal.
    Olivia Rubin, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2025
  • In a statement shared with The Guardian, a spokesperson for Ferguson said the duchess felt compelled to send the email after Epstein allegedly threatened to sue her for defamation over her comments to the Standard.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, this past weekend, reports emerged that two American military cargo jets deported people to Africa on flights that appear to have had their transponders turned off, preventing tracking by obscuring their locations from public flight databases and other nearby aircraft.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Differential privacy introduces controlled noise or randomness to datasets, obscuring individual details while maintaining collective patterns.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The last two seasons have proven that the team starts off slow, which ends up messing their chances of making the playoffs.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Bieber is known for creating soft lines in her makeup, often blurring out her lip liner with her fingers before topping it with a signature gloss, and opting for light, smoky brown eye makeup rather than bold liner.
    Grace McCarty, Glamour, 25 Sep. 2025
  • It was filed as the White House has taken steps to exert influence in unprecedented ways on the department, blurring the line between law and politics at an agency where independence in prosecutorial decision-making is a foundational principle.
    Eric Tucker, Twin Cities, 25 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blackening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackening. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on blackening

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!