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
Experts warn the vast basin, fed by the murky Tidal Basin and darkened by new paint that warms the water, may never stay algae-free without more drastic measures.
—
Katie Vogel,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until mixture darkens slightly, about 3 minutes.
—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 June 2026
Moisture creates ideal growing conditions, allowing algae colonies to expand and darken over time.
—
Colleen Sullivan,
Martha Stewart,
14 June 2026
About the same time the wild pigeons, which used to darken the sun with their flights, left here, never to return.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for darken
Katie Vogel,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until mixture darkens slightly, about 3 minutes.
—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 June 2026
Moisture creates ideal growing conditions, allowing algae colonies to expand and darken over time.
—
Colleen Sullivan,
Martha Stewart,
14 June 2026
About the same time the wild pigeons, which used to darken the sun with their flights, left here, never to return.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for darken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken
Verb
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The upstairs neighbors would like to go to sleep somewhere between 9 at night and midnight, and so applause was frowned upon at the Gaslight.
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Oftentimes, disabling security protections is frowned upon.
Verb
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Just faded to a dark backdrop of the forgotten.
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After Flowering As soon as the blooms fade, cut the flower stalk at the stalk base on an angle using sharp pruners, says Eric Nieusma, co-owner of Maine Hill Farm.
Verb
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The irony is a bit hard to ignore — the very environment being modified to protect or maintain beaches was simultaneously obscuring the ecological processes happening just offshore.
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And what’s a novelist but a fence, furnishing imaginary scenes with choice pieces of reality while obscuring their provenance?
Verb
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The Toronto Blue Jays' 2026 season has been marred by injuries, with veteran pitcher Max Scherzer facing significant setbacks.
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As Bloomberg recently reported, brides are buying $14 spells from witches on Etsy to ensure that their $100,000 weddings are not marred by blizzards or downpours.
Verb
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Only, instead of juicy confessions of a vampire, the footage just shows Lestat staring at him, silent, for half an hour.
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The man came over to me, his face a foot away from mine, and stared into my eyes.
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.
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The park is open from daylight to dusk for visitors and 24/7 for campers.
Verb
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As these events unfold, Early’s earnestness blurs comedy and drama, to surprisingly heartfelt effect.
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To soften the look of this nostalgic floral, try blurring its edges to create an airbrushed effect.
Verb
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Color Changes Foods can darken or brown slightly from exposure to oxygen rather than spoiling.
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Food and drink With 10 bars and restaurants, including the lobby cafe and one in the attached Beymen Mall, guests are spoiled for choice.
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darken. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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