as in dark
being without light or without much light
wanting to surprise her, we waited in the darkened room for her to get home before calling out "happy birthday"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in frowned
to take on a gloomy or forbidding look
his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in obscured
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 marred
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of darkened
Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
As scientists often find darkened teeth in ancient burials, other factors can contribute to a black appearance, notably the chewing of betel leaves.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui posted a video to X over the weekend, showing a dazzling view of auroras spreading like a tall blanket over the darkened Earth below.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Over the weekend, around 16,000 people paid their respects to the designer at his funeral chamber at the Armani Teatro designed by Tadao Ando, filled with white flowers and paper lanterns on the floor in a diagonal grid formation dimly lit up the darkened venue.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
The managing director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, said it had been prepared to upgrade global growth, but the Iran war has now darkened the outlook for the world economy.
—ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Its flowers bloomed white in the spring, and its green summer leaves darkened to a reddish-purple hue in the fall.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
Glossy, blonde waves perfectly frame her face, and her blue eyes, now darkened, smolder at the camera.
—Brooke Migdon, PEOPLE, 30 Mar. 2026
Bake, tossing halfway through, until vegetables have shrunk and tomato paste is darkened and starting to stick to baking sheet, 25–30 minutes.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Mar. 2026
The room can quickly be darkened, however, with the flick of a curtain switch.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
The atmosphere had darkened, as larger and larger percentages of students were suffering from depression and anxiety.
—CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Walls appear charred and darkened, with visible structural damage.
—Jasmine Baehr , Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
As scientists often find darkened teeth in ancient burials, other factors can contribute to a black appearance, notably the chewing of betel leaves.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui posted a video to X over the weekend, showing a dazzling view of auroras spreading like a tall blanket over the darkened Earth below.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Over the weekend, around 16,000 people paid their respects to the designer at his funeral chamber at the Armani Teatro designed by Tadao Ando, filled with white flowers and paper lanterns on the floor in a diagonal grid formation dimly lit up the darkened venue.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
The sound box had a teardrop shape, just a couple of inches deep, with a golden-brown polyurethane finish that darkened to black at the edges.
—Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
The managing director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, said it had been prepared to upgrade global growth, but the Iran war has now darkened the outlook for the world economy.
—ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Its flowers bloomed white in the spring, and its green summer leaves darkened to a reddish-purple hue in the fall.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
Glossy, blonde waves perfectly frame her face, and her blue eyes, now darkened, smolder at the camera.
—Brooke Migdon, PEOPLE, 30 Mar. 2026
Bake, tossing halfway through, until vegetables have shrunk and tomato paste is darkened and starting to stick to baking sheet, 25–30 minutes.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Mar. 2026
The room can quickly be darkened, however, with the flick of a curtain switch.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
The atmosphere had darkened, as larger and larger percentages of students were suffering from depression and anxiety.
—CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Walls appear charred and darkened, with visible structural damage.
—Jasmine Baehr , Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkened
Adjective
-
Hathaway, in disheveled straight blonde hair parted down the middle to its thick dark roots, does a convincing job of showing us that Mary, while devoted to her art (and her fame — the two can’t be separated), is a mere mortal who wears her onstage persona like a cosmic costume.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Store leftover seeds in a cool, dark place until next season.—
Midwest Living,
Midwest Living,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Often vital when visiting Disneyland, smartphones are largely permitted, but even they are frowned upon on many attractions.—
Carly Caramanna,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, loud prints and bright colors are frowned upon — something tournament organizers addressed with Jason Day in 2024.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The national spotlight that once fixed on Dearborn during the 2024 election has faded.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
But the Heat faded down the stretch and lost last night in the NBA Play-In Tournament.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In the background, a spoked wheel leaned against the building on one side, and a man stared at the ground, his face nearly obscured by a cowboy hat.—
Jack Armstrong,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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Investigators later said some records appeared to have been altered with White Out or obscured, allowing the spending to go unnoticed for months.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But her career has been marred by high-profile incidents — including being photographed in 2007 with a freshly shaven head hitting a car with an umbrella.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
13 Apr. 2026
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Sunday’s vote was marred by delays in distributing electoral materials in several districts of Lima, forcing authorities to extend voting into Monday.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Musk has indicated the company may look to boost fleet sales to commercial customers in response to questions about Cybertruck’s murky prospects.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
An opportunity or offer could look exciting at first glance, but the details could be murky.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nearly 20 people in their 30s stared at their cellphones for a few minutes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Immigration officers wearing bulky green vests sat inside the vehicle and stared at Elmer and the Hispanic men standing with him.—
Wendi C. Thomas,
ProPublica,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Loss of valuables in the ruins The exteriors of some buildings remained blackened from the flames.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The exteriors of some buildings remained blackened from the flames, a reminder of the tragedy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Darkened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkened. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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