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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of darkened
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
Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 2 Feb. 2026
But as the camera crew darkened the arena, Malinin was isolated in a spotlight.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
At these delightfully divey watering holes, every visible surface is covered in dollars scribbled with the initials, anniversaries, hometowns, inside jokes, dates, or names of anyone who has darkened the doors of that particular bar over the past fifty years—or maybe just the past week.
—Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
Back then, Vine jokes, Harambe memes, and Snapchat filters could sweep through timelines in a way that made the internet feel weirdly communal, even as politics darkened the horizon.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Jan. 2026
Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until darkened, 4 to 5 minutes.
—Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 15 Jan. 2026
Adams has spent his final months in office globetrotting and shoring up his legacy, touting his accomplishments during a stormy tenure as mayor darkened by corruption charges in late 2024.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 29 Dec. 2025
As the skies darkened ahead of Christmas Eve, volunteers shifted and set up for the annual community brunch hosted on Anaheim’s West Center Street Promenade in a nearby parking structure instead.
—Heather McRea, Oc Register, 24 Dec. 2025
In the afternoon, the sky above the amphitheatre darkened.
—Alex Abramovich, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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
On these blocks, darkened by the presence of heavily armed federal agents, Minnesotans describe routine movements as calculated risks, unsure which block might erupt into confrontation.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 2 Feb. 2026
But as the camera crew darkened the arena, Malinin was isolated in a spotlight.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
At these delightfully divey watering holes, every visible surface is covered in dollars scribbled with the initials, anniversaries, hometowns, inside jokes, dates, or names of anyone who has darkened the doors of that particular bar over the past fifty years—or maybe just the past week.
—Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
Back then, Vine jokes, Harambe memes, and Snapchat filters could sweep through timelines in a way that made the internet feel weirdly communal, even as politics darkened the horizon.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Jan. 2026
Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until darkened, 4 to 5 minutes.
—Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 15 Jan. 2026
Adams has spent his final months in office globetrotting and shoring up his legacy, touting his accomplishments during a stormy tenure as mayor darkened by corruption charges in late 2024.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 29 Dec. 2025
As the skies darkened ahead of Christmas Eve, volunteers shifted and set up for the annual community brunch hosted on Anaheim’s West Center Street Promenade in a nearby parking structure instead.
—Heather McRea, Oc Register, 24 Dec. 2025
In the afternoon, the sky above the amphitheatre darkened.
—Alex Abramovich, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkened
Adjective
-
In a world that can feel increasingly dark and divided, this film reminds us all that everyone, everywhere deserves love.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Ava Phillippe tapped into the Ralph Lauren aesthetic with rugged dark wash shirt and jeans, pulled together with worn-in brown leather accessories and jacket.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Referencing hobbies, especially more niche ones, might be frowned upon in more straitlaced sectors but may help your case in a more creative industry.—
Sarah Jackson,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
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As lore has it, late-‘90s music business standards frowned upon booking two women on the same concert bill, believing that female artists didn’t sell.—
Ilana Gordon,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After my grandmother passed, Italy no longer felt like the mother ship, and the younger generation’s Italian Americanness faded with assimilation.—
Chris Morocco,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
4 Feb. 2026
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The sharp and stressful spikes of the pandemic years may have faded, but the baseline tension hasn’t.—
Stefanie Groner,
Glamour,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The team behind this research used the JWST's Near InfraRed Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) instruments to investigate IRAS 07251–0248, an ultra-luminous infrared galaxy whose dense galactic heart is obscured by immense amounts of dust and gas.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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The threats to our waters are insidiously obscured from sight.—
Theodore J. Karamanski,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In fact, Nanos' last election was marred by controversy.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
However, Machado seems to have regrouped following the elbow surgery that marred the end of his 2023 season and slowed him to start 2024.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But in the murky intermediate regime, the full quantum complexity of each electron plays a role, and the problem is classically intractable.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
4 Feb. 2026
-
There were a lot of murky secrets in the Victorian world.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The two men, in their respective corners, stared each other down.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Both stared in my direction, looking surprised at the chance for free food out here.—
David Zeug,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The building burned to the ground and the soil has been scraped, but that blackened sago palm is still there, sprouting tons of new growth.—
Jeanette Marantos,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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There's no better tool for making biscuits, cornbread, or blackened chicken than a cast-iron skillet.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Darkened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkened. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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