black 1 of 3

1
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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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
Alaska is home to three types of bears − black, brown and polar − according to Alaska Fish and Game. Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025 The all-star Back to the Beginning concert, which reportedly raised more than $190 million for charities, included Osbourne playing five songs from his solo career and four more with his original Sabbath bandmates while seated on a black throne. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 5 Aug. 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
  • Sydney Sweeney’s new dark crime comedy Americana is new in theaters this weekend.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
  • One look at his lone, dark face in his Brighton High class picture tells you.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 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
  • During this brief time, New Shepard passengers get to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see the curve of Earth against the blackness of space.
    Mike Wall, Space.com, 14 June 2025
  • Passengers experience a few minutes of weightlessness and get to see Earth against the blackness of space.
    Mike Wall, Space.com, 31 July 2025
Verb
  • Different groups who knew that DEI rollbacks would impact their communities have come together after calls to boycott from leaders like Bryant.
    Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
  • Target has also felt the pressure of Trump’s variable tariff policies, and has been hurt by customers boycotting its stores in the wake of the company’s decision earlier this year to back away from DEI initiatives.
    David Moin, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Westman drove to the church in a gray Ram ProMaster City utility van with Minnesota plates, according to Minneapolis police records.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Surveillance video leads to suspect Detectives found three surveillance videos that showed what appeared to be a newer gray Hyundai Elantra driving south at high speeds while shots were being fired.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 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
  • No clear answers When shooters are taken into custody and agree to talk about their crimes, their motives can be even murkier.
    Ernesto Londoño, Twin Cities, 1 Sep. 2025
  • This guidance is murky enough that developers must interpret vague ideological cues, then quietly calibrate what their models can say, show, or even learn to avoid crossing a line that’s never clearly drawn.
    Craig Spencer, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Black.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.

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