darken

verb

ˈdär-kən How to pronounce darken (audio)
Definition of darkennext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fade
to grow dark the sky darkened as a storm moved in

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 darken In other words, these olives are often harvested while still green and then darkened through oxidation and other methods during processing. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 July 2026 Themes return altered by what has happened to them, darkened or brightened, fragmented or reconciled. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026 Beginners often mistake them for illuminated cirrus clouds at first, but ordinary clouds darken after sunset. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 July 2026 Then as skies darkened, fireworks began lighting the skies everywhere. — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for darken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken
  1. frown
  2. fade
  3. obscure
  4. mar
  5. stare
  6. dusk
  7. blur
  8. spoil
Verb
  • Spending so much time with Raskova’s frown was a miscalculation, when Sasha and Anastasia falling for each other, and Valya worrying about how Tanya’s past would haunt them forever, were so much more compelling.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 July 2026
  • Judges generally frown on any major actions to change voting laws in the weeks before an election.
    — Toluse Olorunnipa, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026
Definition of frown
Verb
  • Most of Future’s peers in the post-Lil Wayne digital-trap era of the early 2010s, from fellow Atlanta stars Young Thug and 2 Chainz to Southern boldfaced names like Kodak Black and Kevin Gates, have faded back into the regional-rap morass.
    — Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2026
  • Each song explores a different kind of longing—lovers come together but fall apart, dreams fade away only to have resolutions renewed—against a different strain of soul.
    — Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026
Definition of fade
Verb
  • While institutional incentives aren't wrong, portraying them solely as student benefits obscures a critical reality.
    — Scott White, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Crews have been seen unloading equipment from trucks this week — much of it covered or obscured — and barricades have been placed near the perimeter of the arena.
    — Meriam Bouarrouj, NBC news, 4 July 2026
Definition of obscure
Verb
  • Yet, money problems, sinister people and devastating setbacks also mar their experience.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 July 2026
  • He was elected in a landslide in July 2024, but quit after two years in office marred by missteps and judgment errors that eroded his standing with his party and the public.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Definition of mar
Verb
  • But in keeping with its protagonist’s difficulty staring at his feelings head-on, The Vampire Lestat—and the marketing that preceded its premiere—doesn’t start with ballads or sensual odes to far-reaching love.
    — Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
  • From an underwater viewing area, Chinita Head, 52, stared past the glass alongside her 6-year-old nephew, Christian Walker.
    — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
Definition of stare
Verb
  • 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
  • The park is open from daylight to dusk for visitors and 24/7 for campers.
    — Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 15 Jan. 2026
Definition of dusk
Verb
  • Boundaries of good and evil are blurred even further with the introduction of Batman’s most iconic villain, The Joker, played by Heath Ledger, who died before the film was released.
    — Lea Tran, TheWeek, 14 July 2026
  • This is the time of year when lines can get blurred, with competition often internal during summer league.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2026
Definition of blur
Verb
  • Oil threatens to spoil the market rally … again The Iran war returned to Wall Street's doorstep last week, illustrating the fragility of the interim peace agreement between Washington and Tehran.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 11 July 2026
  • Nneka Ogwumike had 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists and the Los Angeles Sparks spoiled Caitlin Clark’s return, beating the Indiana Fever 106-92 on Wednesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Definition of spoil

Browse Nearby Words

dark ages
darken
darkened
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darken. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on darken

Nglish: Translation of darken for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All