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 character work elevates this far above your usual slasher or whodunit, and has a lot to say about the threat of solitude always darkening the edges of old age.
—
Neil McRobert, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Add the sweet and smoked paprikas and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and darkened, about 30 seconds.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
The top plate includes discrete dials to set the capture mode and adjust EV compensation to brighten or darken a scene.
—PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2025
The tree produces an annual fall harvest of walnuts, enclosed in a green husk that darkens when ripe.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Neil McRobert, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Add the sweet and smoked paprikas and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and darkened, about 30 seconds.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
The top plate includes discrete dials to set the capture mode and adjust EV compensation to brighten or darken a scene.
—PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2025
The tree produces an annual fall harvest of walnuts, enclosed in a green husk that darkens when ripe.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken
Verb
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Brown continues to make backers frown.—
Brad Evans,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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Sitting on a purple-and-gold sofa, Mamdani tasted his biryani and frowned.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After a disappointing domestic debut and meager turnout overseas, the sci-fi sequel is fading too fast to have any hope of recouping its $180 million production budget in theaters.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
18 Oct. 2025
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Back in Guatemala City, as the light begins to fade from the skyline, the maquila workers emerge from their factories.—
Ladan Anoushfar,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The department, run by State Superintendent Jill Underly, relies on a rudimentary system to track its investigations, obscuring the scale of misconduct for policymakers and the public.—
Danielle DuClos,
jsonline.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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Instead, two wannabe criminals, with their faces obscured by pantyhose, simply walk into the local art museum and rip the paintings right off the walls.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Though his career was marked by flashes of brilliance, including another 1,400-yard rushing season in 2015, it was also marred by injuries and off-field challenges.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
20 Oct. 2025
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But the country’s industrial innovation has also been marred by production overcapacity.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the first photo, Johnson East's daughter was on her back and wearing a headset, staring at the ceiling.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
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The one on the far right is where my grandmother, Teta Ibtihaj, lies staring at the ceiling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Wait until the first frost when the foliage has turned brown, wilted, or mushy and the stems have blackened.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
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Trader Joe’s Cajun style blackened chicken breast fettuccine alfredo is also on the list but only affects four states – Texas not included.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For a garden that blurs the lines between traditional and modern, combine a clean hardscape with aged materials and spilling plants.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Oct. 2025
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Animated characters like Tony the Tiger, Count Chocula and Fred Flintstone blurred the line between ads and morning cartoons.—
Alice Callahan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Wildcats spoiled the Nittany Lions' homecoming game, outscoring them 9-7 in the fourth quarter to just squeak out the win.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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The North Carolina Courage spoiled Bay FC’s last home game of the season Friday night as Manaka Matsukubo’s hat trick led to a resounding 4-1 win, matching the most lopsided home loss in Bay’s two-year history.—
Jon Becker,
Mercury News,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darken. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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