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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of darkening
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Other Mommy is described as a supernatural trip into the darkening world of a young girl as her family, and their home, are haunted by a sinister entity that is determined to take up residence inside her.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2025
The resulting scorching ash cloud reached as high as 16 miles into the atmosphere, darkening the sky and causing homes and businesses as far as 300 miles away to close.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
The display is arranged according to a precise formula, with sizes increasing from floor to ceiling, and colors darkening from left to right, as well as from the entrance to the back of the store.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
But the bigger picture for Iran’s oil revenue is darkening as other potential buyers hang back.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 14 Sep. 2025
Flowers are typically pale blue to lavender, darkening along the midrib and toward the tip of each petal.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
Check the butter for signs of spoiling, including darkening, a foul odor, and/or a sour taste.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
By the time the Nashville five piece took the Grandstand stage, the temperature had dipped below 80 degrees and the darkening skies took on a purple shade.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
Heavy fuel oil also produces black carbon, a kind of soot that can settle on the ice and accelerate melt by darkening the surface, meaning more of the sun’s energy is absorbed.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Other Mommy is described as a supernatural trip into the darkening world of a young girl as her family, and their home, are haunted by a sinister entity that is determined to take up residence inside her.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2025
The resulting scorching ash cloud reached as high as 16 miles into the atmosphere, darkening the sky and causing homes and businesses as far as 300 miles away to close.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
The display is arranged according to a precise formula, with sizes increasing from floor to ceiling, and colors darkening from left to right, as well as from the entrance to the back of the store.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
But the bigger picture for Iran’s oil revenue is darkening as other potential buyers hang back.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 14 Sep. 2025
Flowers are typically pale blue to lavender, darkening along the midrib and toward the tip of each petal.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
Check the butter for signs of spoiling, including darkening, a foul odor, and/or a sour taste.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
By the time the Nashville five piece took the Grandstand stage, the temperature had dipped below 80 degrees and the darkening skies took on a purple shade.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkening
Adjective
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The Smithsonian Institution, which includes all the Smithsonian museums, plans to go dark after Saturday if the government shutdown continues beyond then, according to its website.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Polselli brings a painterly gaze to scenes of quiet dread, such as a figure gradually appearing out of thick brush as two women make their way home through dark woods.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Exterior signs are fading and machinery has been left around the site.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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While pie crust seems to be fading away, some chefs would rather think completely outside the box by creating a completely different crust.—
Amber Love Bond,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, this past weekend, reports emerged that two American military cargo jets deported people to Africa on flights that appear to have had their transponders turned off, preventing tracking by obscuring their locations from public flight databases and other nearby aircraft.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
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Differential privacy introduces controlled noise or randomness to datasets, obscuring individual details while maintaining collective patterns.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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An optional front rack on both models adds instant utility without marring the retro-fantastic looks.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Boston comes in with three straight losses marring otherwise agreeable vibes.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While there is still a chance that Sanders and Colorado can turn things around, the rest of the season is looking bleak.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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From a bleak job hunt upon her arrival in 2016 to undergoing treatment for her second bout with breast cancer during the uncertainty and fear of COVID, Davis recalls her journey through raw vulnerability and splashes of humor.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In a separate post, Tippett is seen hugging and staring into his beloved’s eyes through a window, followed by a video of the pair talking and snogging, with their intimate conversation muted by the glass partition.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
7 Oct. 2025
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Soon my mom was staring catatonically at the baby item in her hand.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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High-Heat-Safe Alternatives While enameled cast-iron cookware is excellent to use for braising, roasting, baking, or gentle stovetop cooking, certain high heat applications like searing steak or blackening fish are best done in other types of pans, like traditional cast iron or stainless steel.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
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Each footstep sent up clouds of dust and ash, coating everything, including my mouth and teeth, in fine grit, blackening my snot and saliva.—
River Selby
August 25,
Literary Hub,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Towards the middle of the month, Venus will highlight friendships and social circles, blurring the line between platonic and romantic — a crush could suddenly feel more significant.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
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Defendants have made a range of arguments that, if accepted, risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power—to the detriment of this nation.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Darkening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkening. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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