1
as in to frown
to take on a gloomy or forbidding look
his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
years of accumulated grime have darkened the painting until it can barely be seen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to mar
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of darken
The windows are darkened and the place, as rundown as their own, is too large to be a summer cottage.
—
Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
It wasn’t supposed to set for another hour and a half, but streetlights flickered on as the sky darkened and the dust finally caught up to Olbinski.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Flowers are typically pale blue to lavender, darkening along the midrib and toward the tip of each petal.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
By the time the Nashville five piece took the Grandstand stage, the temperature had dipped below 80 degrees and the darkening skies took on a purple shade.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
It wasn’t supposed to set for another hour and a half, but streetlights flickered on as the sky darkened and the dust finally caught up to Olbinski.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Flowers are typically pale blue to lavender, darkening along the midrib and toward the tip of each petal.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
By the time the Nashville five piece took the Grandstand stage, the temperature had dipped below 80 degrees and the darkening skies took on a purple shade.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken
Verb
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At certain workplaces, it’s frowned upon to sit, to appear idle or to gather around in groups.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
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In Israel it is frowned upon to criticize the nation, especially in front of outsiders.—
Uriel Kon
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Midnight blue, a heavier shade, has been favored in recent years as the summer fades and fall approaches.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
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As the sun set over the East River, the music faded but the warmth lingered.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Senate Bill 627, for example, would prohibit law enforcement agents from covering their faces to obscure their identity, carving out exceptions for SWAT teams and undercover officers.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Sep. 2025
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In those interviews, the faces of victims were obscured to protect their identities.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Boy Meets World — Savage’s comedy legacy has been marred by multiple misconduct allegations over the years.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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Holes marred the walls in the kitchen under the dish machine, dry storage and dish storage rooms.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Taking refuge in Utah, a world away I’m sitting here, staring at these majestic mountains that in the summer can appear brown, blue, green, gold or gray depending on the time of day or how the sun hits them.—
Suzette Hackney,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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One where the entire community would gather to stare blankly at price tags, sit on bulky massage chairs, and sample glossy pieces of teriyaki chicken in a grand dining hall.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Currently, according to Applebee's website, menu items include bourbon street chicken and shrimp, hot honey glazed chicken and blackened Cajun salmon.—
Cathy Kozlowicz,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Video of the aftermath showed only debris from the collision and the ground blackened as though from a large explosion or fire.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Usually, Meghan has posted photos of their children with their faces blurred out, or in poses where their face is unseen.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
5 Sep. 2025
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Ratti’s brand of optimism has always blurred the line between big data and surveillance, and, as a robotics pioneer, he’s also long gravitated toward the post-human, the dream of a world made and managed by machines.—
Kate Wagner,
Curbed,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Holding on for a win on Saturday finally allowed the Padres to gain a game in the NL West on the on Dodgers, who lost a fifth straight when the Orioles spoiled a no-hitter with two outs and ultimately walked off a win.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Sep. 2025
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Besides, if one bad apple can spoil the whole barrel, then just imagine the good that Maria could do by removing it from the rest of the bunch.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darken. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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