black 1 of 3

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as in ebony
having the color of soot or coal we adopted a little black kitten

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
as in brunette
not having a light complexion a black Irishman, Tyrone Power had the classic looks of a Hollywood leading man

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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black

2 of 3

noun

black

3 of 3

verb

chiefly British

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 black
Noun
Travis Decker description Police described Travis Decker as a white man with black hair and brown eyes, standing 5'8'', and weighing 190 pounds. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 7 June 2025 Hudson’s Newport Beach TV Festival look follows a recent trend of celebrities putting their own respective spin on the little black dress. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 6 June 2025
Verb
Take your pick from black to mocha to crisp, winter white. Taylor Jean Stephan, Peoplemag, 31 Jan. 2023 Flaunt this fun, floral style, or opt for their best-selling classic black. Meg Donohue, Town & Country, 31 Jan. 2023 See All Example Sentences for black
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black
Adjective
  • In the study, meanwhile, dark-hued walls and ebony wood are accented by abstract, colorful art.
    Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 24 May 2025
  • Dating back roughly 1,500 years, the artifacts are carved from rare ebony wood that originated in India or Sri Lanka.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • The duo stepped out in complementary dark ensembles, with Hayek wearing one of her favorite footwear looks — hefty platform heels — with a black velvet dress.
    Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 9 July 2025
  • My perspective always seems a bit darker and less hopeful.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 9 July 2025
Adjective
  • In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.
    Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Dec. 2022
  • There are no glamorous furnishings — just a French window, its blackened panes suggesting the dark of night.
    Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2022
Noun
  • Four months’ worth of rain fell in just hours as water-laden thunderstorms stalled in place, giving rise to a wall of water that surged down the river in the blackness of night, limiting the number of people who could get the warnings and move to higher ground.
    Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 6 July 2025
  • The cliffs loomed up terribly out of the blackness.
    Nicole Krauss, The Atlantic, 6 July 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, The People’s Union USA is encouraging Americans to stay at home on July 4, boycotting large corporations and avoiding parades and firework displays in a show of solidarity against wealth inequality and ICE raids.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 1 July 2025
  • What To Know The People's Union will boycott Amazon, Home Depot and Starbucks throughout this entire month.
    Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • The watch is complemented with a black and gray bi-material rubber and gray textile strap with the Luna Rossa stripe as well as a second black rubber strap.
    Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Her teeth were tiny and gray, like an elderly cat’s.
    Ottessa Moshfegh, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • Elements of her can be found on Lioness in Zoe Saldaña’s Joe McNamara, a CIA operative trying to save the world from the swarthy — terrorists in Season One, Mexican cartels in Season Two — while raising two girls.
    Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Jett Rink was a really malevolent varmint, and kind of swarthy and dark.
    Jeff Conway, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Her eyes were murky green and always cast upward and to the left.
    Ottessa Moshfegh, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
  • Rules and regulations regarding international flight cancellations are a little murky.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Black.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

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