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
Handles and drawer pulls darken over time, along with vintage hooks, light switches, doorknobs, and more.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025
Some grayish pieces—likely darkened by smoke—are original; lighter plaster prosthetics fill in missing places.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
But the bigger picture for Iran’s oil revenue is darkening as other potential buyers hang back.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 14 Sep. 2025
The general outage follows an incident on Sunday when another failure darkened several provinces in eastern Cuba due to a transmission line failure.
—Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025
Some grayish pieces—likely darkened by smoke—are original; lighter plaster prosthetics fill in missing places.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
But the bigger picture for Iran’s oil revenue is darkening as other potential buyers hang back.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 14 Sep. 2025
The general outage follows an incident on Sunday when another failure darkened several provinces in eastern Cuba due to a transmission line failure.
—Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken
Verb
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That wasn’t something that was frowned upon.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Sep. 2025
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Japan was in a deep recession, but Uniqlo kept growing, offering bargains for the struggling masses and discretion for better-off consumers in an era that frowned upon conspicuous consumption.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After a pause, the composition takes on a searching quality, as the melody travels from one instrument to the next, including a compelling viola solo performed by principal viola Maiya Papach, eventually fading out to nothing, leaving the audience suspended in uneasy quiet.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
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The long-standing expectation was that these resonance signals would fade and become negligible as the momentum transfer increased.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The bill would prohibit federal and local law enforcement officers from wearing masks that obscure their identity during public-facing operations, with exemptions for medical and undercover purposes.—
Amelia Wu,
Sacbee.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Justin shares Jack with wife Hailey Baldwin Bieber, and while the couple often shares photos of their son, his face is often obscured.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The disruptions come amid a WNBA season in which multiple games were marred by the objects making appearances on the court.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Each death was devastating to relatives and friends left behind, and the first decades of the twentieth century were marred by individual grief on a global scale.—
Alice Vernon
September 8,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The camera then pans to show the house opposite—where another golden is sitting in the exact same spot in its own yard, staring right back at Copper, but neither crossing the threshold on to the street.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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The two men then lie down next to each other and stare at the ceiling.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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High-Heat-Safe Alternatives While enameled cast-iron cookware is excellent to use for braising, roasting, baking, or gentle stovetop cooking, certain high heat applications like searing steak or blackening fish are best done in other types of pans, like traditional cast iron or stainless steel.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
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Her boyfriend had hit her hard enough to blacken her eye.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Long Walk uses the rawness of its spartan premise to venture deep into uncomfortable territory, culminating in an ending that blurs the lines between perseverance and defeat, hope and nihilism.—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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On the third floor, The World of RH Bar and Lounge showcases highlights from other RH destinations around the world, including two jets RH One and Two, the RH Three yacht, and 26 restaurants and bars, showing how seamlessly the brand blurs the line between lifestyle and design.—
Erica Wertheim Zohar,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Despite Alfred and Jefferson-Wooden being the clear favorites for gold in the 100-meter dash, there are a few others besides Fraser-Pryce who could spoil the party.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Instead, the couple is content to spoil their dog, Bimini, a mini Labradoodle whom Berk first introduced on his Instagram in 2021.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darken. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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