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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fading
to grow dark
the sky darkened as a storm moved in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in obscuring
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 marring
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of darkening
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Sweep sidewalks regularly to keep dirt and debris from building up and darkening the color.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 June 2026
Today, the skies seem to be darkening once again.
—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
19 June 2026
One brush fire from the summer storm then split into two, and the raging flames sent plumes of black smoke upward, darkening the skies for miles and fouling the air.
—
Kairi Lowery,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Crossed spears of sunlight fall into it but only so far, and beneath their yellow illuminations Brith can see depths and more depths of water, darkening to obscurity.
—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Its trio, a lonely fox-deer, an axolotl apprentice healer and a red panda Viking, travel through a darkening natural world as the series folds identity, belonging and environmental crisis.
—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Firefighters were on the street hosing down the burning stacks of e-bikes, the live stream showed, and fire trucks were making their way through showers of sparks from fireworks being lit in the darkening Paris skies.
—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
For a country that relies on crude oil and natural gas exports for a significant chunk of its budget revenue, these attacks are not only producing financial strain for the Kremlin but darkening the Russian people’s psychology as well.
—
Daniel Depetris,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
Verb
Moonrise will take place across North America in blue hour, when the sky is darkening but still retains color — perfect timing.
—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Sweep sidewalks regularly to keep dirt and debris from building up and darkening the color.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 June 2026
Today, the skies seem to be darkening once again.
—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
19 June 2026
One brush fire from the summer storm then split into two, and the raging flames sent plumes of black smoke upward, darkening the skies for miles and fouling the air.
—
Kairi Lowery,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Crossed spears of sunlight fall into it but only so far, and beneath their yellow illuminations Brith can see depths and more depths of water, darkening to obscurity.
—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Its trio, a lonely fox-deer, an axolotl apprentice healer and a red panda Viking, travel through a darkening natural world as the series folds identity, belonging and environmental crisis.
—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Firefighters were on the street hosing down the burning stacks of e-bikes, the live stream showed, and fire trucks were making their way through showers of sparks from fireworks being lit in the darkening Paris skies.
—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
For a country that relies on crude oil and natural gas exports for a significant chunk of its budget revenue, these attacks are not only producing financial strain for the Kremlin but darkening the Russian people’s psychology as well.
—
Daniel Depetris,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkening
Adjective
-
Tourism and city officials say that marketplace channels festival foot traffic directly to Black entrepreneurs and helps keep dollars circulating in local neighborhoods long after the stages go dark.
-
Jason kept the look casual in a light blue graphic T-shirt, white shorts, a baseball cap and dark sunglasses.
Verb
-
This focuses readers on the all-black uniforms of the veiled pupils, who—in a long frame at the center of the page—sit between the looming, frowning teacher on the right and Marji on the left, who stands up to explain that her uncle was executed by the Islamic regime.
-
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.
Verb
-
Their self-cleaning nature means blooms drop naturally after fading, eliminating tedious deadheading.
-
Halsey and her fans’ outrage over an old album review is showing no signs of fading.
Verb
-
The irony is a bit hard to ignore — the very environment being modified to protect or maintain beaches was simultaneously obscuring the ecological processes happening just offshore.
-
And what’s a novelist but a fence, furnishing imaginary scenes with choice pieces of reality while obscuring their provenance?
Verb
-
Lined with live oaks and old-fashioned, busy storefronts, this artsy town on the Gulf of Mexico has no commercial development marring its shoreline.
-
In Strasbourg, groups of Palace supporters clashed among themselves in a square in the city centre, marring the occasion.
Adjective
-
The goofy sketch comedies and homemade spoofs that once filled his channel gradually disappeared, replaced by melancholy short films and bleak monologues.
-
Cher’s court documents paint a bleak picture of how Allman, 49, allegedly blows through his $120,000 annual trust distributions.
Verb
-
In Taiwan, a student sitting for an entrance exam for a top medical school was discovered wearing smart glasses after proctors noticed the student staring oddly at the test, leading to an inspection that revealed the frame was emitting heat.
-
Three stories, three separate sets of receipts, with one through line worth staring at until a clearer view emerges.
Verb
-
And Hanceville’s fate is as murky as the fog that pours in at night, blotting out buildings and blackening the road ahead.
-
These tungsten atoms would then condense on the slightly cooler inside of the glass bulb, blackening it and dimming the light over time.
Cite this Entry
“Darkening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkening. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
