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
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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
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Recent Examples of darkened
Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
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
Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
On a recent night in Havana, as another blackout darkened much of the city, taxi driver Leonardo Daniel González steered a friend’s glowing purple 1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster through the darkness.
—ABC News, 8 June 2026
As the sky darkened, the jagged ridgeline of the mountains behind us grew sharp and pronounced.
—Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 June 2026
Enjoying and Observing Fireflies The best firefly viewing comes after the sun has set while sitting on a darkened, screened back porch.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 6 June 2026
The country’s growth outlook has darkened due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has effectively halted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up energy and commodities prices globally.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 June 2026
For her role as Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 film about the late singer, her arches were darkened and defined.
—Tori Crowther, Allure, 27 May 2026
But as soon as the Lumière Theatre darkened and the movie began to play, Driver slipped out of his seat.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 19 May 2026
The other is darkened by fuel scarcity and rising prices that threaten a humanitarian crisis.
—Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
Adjective
She’s talked up her push to convert darkened streetlights, many of them stripped of their copper wire, to solar power.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
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
As the skies darkened and a swift downpour swept through the ballpark, both teams turned to their bullpens.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
On a recent night in Havana, as another blackout darkened much of the city, taxi driver Leonardo Daniel González steered a friend’s glowing purple 1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster through the darkness.
—ABC News, 8 June 2026
As the sky darkened, the jagged ridgeline of the mountains behind us grew sharp and pronounced.
—Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 June 2026
Enjoying and Observing Fireflies The best firefly viewing comes after the sun has set while sitting on a darkened, screened back porch.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 6 June 2026
The country’s growth outlook has darkened due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has effectively halted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up energy and commodities prices globally.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 June 2026
For her role as Selena Quintanilla in the 1997 film about the late singer, her arches were darkened and defined.
—Tori Crowther, Allure, 27 May 2026
But as soon as the Lumière Theatre darkened and the movie began to play, Driver slipped out of his seat.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 19 May 2026
The other is darkened by fuel scarcity and rising prices that threaten a humanitarian crisis.
—Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkened
Adjective
-
Its dark terrain is constantly changing due to lava flows from Kilauea or Mauna Loa – two of the most active volcanoes in the world, according to the National Park Service website.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Some find the last scene ambiguous, multivalent; some dark; others comic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
In a pre-AI world, companies would’ve frowned upon allowing clients to bypass the online front door to their services.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
-
On Saturday, Hill defended Carter after former Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes explained why publicly targeting a teammate is frowned upon inside an NFL locker room.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
As those temporary surpluses faded, homelessness spending fell sharply.—
Benjamin F. Henwood,
The Conversation,
10 June 2026
-
As Broadway star Avery Wilson sang the National Anthem, the camera faded to a shot of Trump saluting the flag, and MSG erupted into boos.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Wilson was most often seen behind his fence (with his face mostly obscured), offering moral guidance and wisdom to Tim and the rest of the Taylor family.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
The Islamic Republic of Iran has accelerated its executions of dissidents and activists, with the true number of victims likely obscured by the regime’s internet censorship and blackout.—
Beth Bailey,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street announced Tuesday that the 2026 Downtown Days festival will be its last, citing safety concerns after fights, assaults and property damage marred Saturday evening’s event.—
Ian Cummings,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
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The March 22 election was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
The exact outcome of that mini-summit remains murky.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
11 June 2026
-
Some answers, though, fell on the edge of this somewhat murky threshold—thus the slight toss-up in final scores.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
My wife stared at the broken cup for a while without saying a word.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Layne stared for a long time at the reflection pools there.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
The shrimp basket at B&J's Steak and Seafood includes a half pound of shrimp fried, grilled, blackened or boiled.—
Bill Dawers - For the AJC,
AJC.com,
2 June 2026
-
Look for blackened, dim, and flickering bulbs during your inspections and replace those as well.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Darkened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkened. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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