as in dark
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
a darkening sky that seemed to match our downcast spirits
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in frowning
to take on a gloomy or forbidding look
his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fading
to grow dark
the sky darkened as a storm moved in
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3
as in obscuring
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 marring
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 darkening
Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
The staggering human toll in Gaza, ongoing West Bank settlement expansion, another incursion into Lebanon, and a darkening war with Iran eroded support among younger Americans—even as Washington remains Israel’s indispensable security partner.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
The Iran war is darkening the outlook for the world economy — whether or not a fragile ceasefire holds, the head of the International Monetary Fund warned Thursday.
—Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
The film has also helped resuscitate a dwindling population of ticket-goers hoping for a feel-good escape-hatch picture in the midst of darkening times and popcorn machines.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026
The image below shows the SLS freeing itself of Earth, hauling the Artemis 2 mission to the darkening skies above Florida.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
This linen-blend pinch pleated option is light-filtering—in other words, not as dense as room-darkening curtains or blackout designs—and available in 38 colors, with curtain rings and rods sold separately.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2026
Oh, and the grief was almost a person of its own, darkening the minds of some of the characters as much as any lightless corridor could darken a space.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Sweep sidewalks regularly to keep dirt and debris from building up and darkening the color.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
As the world's largest oil importer and a heavily export-reliant economy, China is vulnerable to an oil shock that's already slowing trade, pushing up factory costs, and darkening the outlook for the rest of the year.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
The staggering human toll in Gaza, ongoing West Bank settlement expansion, another incursion into Lebanon, and a darkening war with Iran eroded support among younger Americans—even as Washington remains Israel’s indispensable security partner.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
The Iran war is darkening the outlook for the world economy — whether or not a fragile ceasefire holds, the head of the International Monetary Fund warned Thursday.
—Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
The film has also helped resuscitate a dwindling population of ticket-goers hoping for a feel-good escape-hatch picture in the midst of darkening times and popcorn machines.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2026
The image below shows the SLS freeing itself of Earth, hauling the Artemis 2 mission to the darkening skies above Florida.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
This linen-blend pinch pleated option is light-filtering—in other words, not as dense as room-darkening curtains or blackout designs—and available in 38 colors, with curtain rings and rods sold separately.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2026
Oh, and the grief was almost a person of its own, darkening the minds of some of the characters as much as any lightless corridor could darken a space.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Sweep sidewalks regularly to keep dirt and debris from building up and darkening the color.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkening
Adjective
-
Set dark green pieces aside separately.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Thanks to its high altitude and exceptionally dark skies, this location offers stunning views of the Milky Way and countless stars.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Woods, 50, is seen frowning in the photo, taken shortly after the legendary golfer was booked into jail on March 27 after his Land Rover rolled over in Jupiter Island, Florida.—
Natasha Dye,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
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Hubbard posted an image of herself with a disgusted look on her face from earlier in Season 10, while Dillard shared a photo of himself frowning, also from a scene in the show.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The cast iron ensures even heat distribution and the enamel iresists fading, chipping, cracking, and staining.—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Shapiro-Ikenberry led through most of the first half of the race before fading to seventh.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hadid kept her accessories monochromatic and simple, partially obscuring her face with a pair of oversized dark brown sunglasses and adding a brown leather skinny belt around her hips.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
13 Apr. 2026
-
To make your windows sparkle, make sure there are no smudges obscuring the spring sunlight.—
Lori Keong,
Architectural Digest,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ancient lava fields can be seen as dark lunar maria marring the silvery lunar surface, which themselves are threaded with bright streaks of reflective debris strewn across the surface by violent asteroid strikes.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The demoralizing graffiti marring the main entrance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 360 Lenox Ave.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That’s partly because their bleak ending feels like a foregone conclusion from the start, even as Levinson’s frequently funny script crackles with comic depravity.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
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While the subject matter is bleak, Almodóvar balances the darkness with a tenderness and sensitivity that comes from a career of exploring women's lives at their most intimate.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Up on their hind legs, sitting around me, staring at me.—
Sabienna Bowman,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
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After staring at the dog for 90 seconds, Green went back into his apartment and then threw a cutting board at the dog.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And Hanceville’s fate is as murky as the fog that pours in at night, blotting out buildings and blackening the road ahead.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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These tungsten atoms would then condense on the slightly cooler inside of the glass bulb, blackening it and dimming the light over time.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Darkening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkening. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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