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
Enjoying and Observing Fireflies The best firefly viewing comes after the sun has set while sitting on a darkened, screened back porch.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 31 May 2026
Firefighters were on the street hosing down the burning stacks of e-bikes, the live stream showed, and fire trucks were making their way through showers of sparks from fireworks being lit in the darkening Paris skies.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
For her role as Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 film about the late singer, her arches were darkened and defined.
—Tori Crowther, Allure, 27 May 2026
Moonrise will take place across North America in blue hour, when the sky is darkening but still retains color — perfect timing.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for darken
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 31 May 2026
Firefighters were on the street hosing down the burning stacks of e-bikes, the live stream showed, and fire trucks were making their way through showers of sparks from fireworks being lit in the darkening Paris skies.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
For her role as Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 film about the late singer, her arches were darkened and defined.
—Tori Crowther, Allure, 27 May 2026
Moonrise will take place across North America in blue hour, when the sky is darkening but still retains color — perfect timing.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for darken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken
Verb
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Don’t Kill Reach with External Links Like any business that makes money from advertising, LinkedIn frowns upon directing people away from LinkedIn to another site.—
William Arruda,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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Here is our review of a 2025-26 campaign that’s ended with more smiles than frowns.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
Verb
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While desirable homes still sell quickly, frenzied bidding wars have faded.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
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Deadheading Is Another Form Of Pinching Back Deadheading is similar to pinching back, but it is done once the flowers begin to fade.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
Verb
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In transportation, technology must support human judgment, not obscure it.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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What, then, is being obscured—beyond the view?—
Erika Landström,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Verb
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But six years after NASA certified SpaceX to ferry crews to and from the ISS, Boeing’s Starliner still lacks approval for regular crew rotation flights after a 2024 test flight was marred by technical issues.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
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In Strasbourg, groups of Palace supporters clashed among themselves in a square in the city centre, marring the occasion.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
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In another Amsterdam photo, a pair of identical world globes, recalling Ghirri’s passion for cartography and atlases, rest on matching supports to conjure that oldest of surrealist tropes, a pair of staring eyes.—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Sure, there are probably supermodels, sports stars, and famous actors in your midst (don’t stare).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Verb
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With minimal humidity, near-perfect clear-sky frequency and vast empty horizons, Namibia offers the kind of slow, immersive darkness that makes dusking feel less like a trend and more like a return to something ancient.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
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The park is open from daylight to dusk for visitors and 24/7 for campers.—
Isa Almeida,
Oklahoman,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And as the lines between online content and traditional television continue to blur, some of the platform’s biggest creators are not waiting around for the industry to get on board.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
30 May 2026
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That person moved to Montclair or Hudson or Bucks County and is on a Zoom call right now, background blurred, wondering why their new hire seems so lost.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Telling the truth would cost millions and would spoil every car on the gravy train.—
Adam Graham,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
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While the Giants had a chance to spoil Harrison’s predictable revenge game, the Brewers effectively put the game to rest by scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth to create a commanding five-run lead.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darken. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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