1
as in stains
to make dirty
blackened the towels with their dirty hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in libels
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the politician maliciously blackened his opponent's reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in darkens
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 blackens
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
The Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackens
Verb
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The piercing doesn't necessarily damage the trees, but their excrement, which is high in sugar, stains the trees and blocks photosynthesis, which eventually suffocates the trees, the researchers said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
9 Feb. 2026
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This mixture attacks stains a bit stronger than the water solution.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In recent years, neighborhoods ranging from Hancock Park and Lincoln Heights to Mar Vista and Pico Union have been plagued by copper wire theft that darkens the streets.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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This higher temperature darkens the paste, slightly caramelizes the sugar, and deactivates enzymes that would otherwise break down pectin, resulting in a thicker, more cooked-tasting product.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The adventurous actress dirties up her frock and face to play the village pariah, who reeks of fish and would be no man’s idea of a suitable wife, except perhaps the one-eyed bum who sleeps in the town square.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The five pieces offer, in turn, biomorphic hints of de Kooning, the ragged shapes of Clyfford Still, the bold geometries of Ellsworth Kelly, the paint smears of Gerhard Richter, and something that looks like toothpaste squeezed onto an orange peel.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
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Teachers Union leader Randi Weingarten smears Trump voters as fascists!—
The Hill,
The Hill,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But despite the new program’s promising rhetoric, the scientific framing of the announcement obscures a deeper policy problem.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
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Rather than scrolling, people are reading of the mist that obscures Yorkshire moors and its inhabitants’ judgments.—
Hannah Benson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For all the ways Disney’s move sullies it with creatives in Hollywood, OpenAI’s new partner does the opposite — gives it massive cred in Silicon Valley.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Thecla humiliates him by ripping his robe and tearing the wreath off his head.—
Christy Cobb,
The Conversation,
16 Jan. 2026
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To show him who’s boss, Catherine turns around and buys Pac-North, humiliates him by closing it, and forces him back to Grey Sloan.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The illuminating skin tint instantly blurs and brightens my complexion and leaves behind a soft-focus glow—almost as if my skin were an IRL filter.—
Alyssa Morin,
InStyle,
20 Feb. 2026
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Apple also pointed to a feature the company offers called Communication Safety that warns children and blurs the image when nudity is detected while receiving or attempting to send content and displays a warning.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blackens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackens. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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