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
Place wings, skin side down, on unlit side of grill; cover and grill, undisturbed, until darkened in color and cooked through, about 20 minutes.
—
Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Farther up, on Observatory Hill, tall cryptomeria trees were silhouetted in the darkening evening, and down in the valleys, lights winked on like reflections of the planets and stars appearing in the sky.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Add garlic, tomato paste, and anchovies and cook, stirring constantly, until tomato paste is slightly darkened, about 2 minutes.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 27 Oct. 2025
Ovechkin turned 40 in September — there was no Gretzky chase to darken that party.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Farther up, on Observatory Hill, tall cryptomeria trees were silhouetted in the darkening evening, and down in the valleys, lights winked on like reflections of the planets and stars appearing in the sky.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Add garlic, tomato paste, and anchovies and cook, stirring constantly, until tomato paste is slightly darkened, about 2 minutes.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 27 Oct. 2025
Ovechkin turned 40 in September — there was no Gretzky chase to darken that party.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken
Verb
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Just don’t forget to bring a cup or water bottle to sample the water, as drinking directly from the spout is frowned upon.—
Cat Sposato,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Nov. 2025
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While wave pools were once frowned upon by most surfers who argued machines couldn’t replace Mother Nature, many have come around as technology has improved.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Mankinlu Maple Leaf Solar Pathway Lights As daylight starts to fade earlier, these cute pathway lights add both charm and function to your yard.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
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The Trail Blazers faded in the fourth quarter en route to a 118-114 loss to the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Also, be sure to check local weather forecasts, because even the slightest cloud could easily obscure the northern lights.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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The seafloor had once been obscured beneath a thick ice shelf, but that changed in July 2017 when the massive A68 iceberg calved from the Larsen C Ice Shelf.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Even now, plans are underway to determine how best to retire and deorbit the aging laboratory – which has been marred by air leaks and other issues – likely around 2030.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
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International rights groups have criticized the electoral process which has been marred by low voter turnout, a night curfew and internet shutdown as protesters have taken to the streets of major cities for the third day since election day.—
Martin K.N Siele,
semafor.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Recipes from Valencia took me back to an afternoon lounging in the lawns near The City of Arts and Sciences, staring at orange trees, plucking pieces of rabbit from paella with my fingers, and swirling toast into olive oil.—
Jamila Robinson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
31 Oct. 2025
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The iconic meadow scene, during which Bella and Edward stare longingly at one another on the forest floor, reached new levels of enchantmemt thanks to a proper display of the scene's idyllic panorama.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Its hours are from dawn to dusk every day of the year.—
Cathy Kozlowicz,
jsonline.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The exhibition is set to take a unique approach, deliberately blurring the line between a traditional museum presentation and an eerie spectacle.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
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Those videos, some with the watermarks cropped or blurred, have deluged social media in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Toronto Blue Jays nearly ended their 32-year World Series drought, but the Los Angeles Dodgers spoiled their hopes in Game 7.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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Mizzou had a chance to spoil the fun and put the national spotlight on Columbia.—
Quentin Corpuel,
Kansas City Star,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darken. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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