darkness

Definition of darknessnext
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as in night
the time from sunset to sunrise when there is no visible sunlight let's wait for darkness before telling ghost stories

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in cloud
an overspreading element that produces an atmosphere of gloom the darkness of that period of my life is best forgotten

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 darkness It was once believed to be completely lifeless due to crushing pressure, darkness, and freezing temperatures. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026 That won't work — the moon will rise in darkness. Jamie Carter, Space.com, 28 May 2026 Fear is such a human experience, and there’s so much light to be found in the darkness. Sarah Batcha, Oc Register, 28 May 2026 Constant darkness disrupts time perception and the body’s circadian rhythms. ABC News, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for darkness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkness
Noun
  • Brith had shut her eyes, finding that the sparks were still living on the inside of the lids, vivid in their dangerous dark.
    Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
  • This week in Atlanta, discover a brunch club located in a chef’s apartment, hang out at a bookstore after dark, and get tickets for a wine dinner celebrating Black chefs and winemakers.
    Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 2 June 2026
Noun
  • Good Agents, Bad Agents And Staying Accountable ​This leads to an uncomfortable ambiguity that traditional know your customer (KYC) and know your business (KYB) processes simply are not cut out for.
    Andrew Sever, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
  • Unlike Carol, there’s no ambiguity over whether Pamela is a proper monster — but adding nuance to women who come off like villains is work Cardellini knows well.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 28 May 2026
Noun
  • The comparison is not of the apples-to-apples variety, because a late-night host’s last program is bound to win a large audience, just as a repeat aired on a Friday night is not.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 29 May 2026
  • Add sandals for a beach day and heels for a night of ocean-side spritzes.
    Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • Unusual cloud formations took shape above Houston’s highways on Tuesday.
    Ben Noll, Washington Post, 3 June 2026
  • Over the prairie there would be lightning that evening, dropping in shattering bolts from swollen purple clouds.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
Noun
  • As the players linked arms as one by one — five of them were brave enough to take on the enormous pressure of these penalties — in the shadows was the 2-1 defeat by Barcelona in their only other Champions League final twenty years ago.
    Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 31 May 2026
  • Pérez daring anyone in the shadows to step forward.
    Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Noun
  • The greatest loss, as microdemographics turn away from and against one another and a grim pall descends over public life, might be that of late night as a venue to forget our differences (or at least laugh about them) long enough to have fun together, like a functional society.
    Judy Berman, Time, 22 May 2026
  • Casting a pall over the nuptials, Harry Beaton (Spencer Davis Milford), hopelessly in love with Jean, threatens to destroy Brigadoon’s miracle by leaving the town for good.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
Noun
  • From individual missions to tours aboard the ISS, video games have featured surprisingly often in the inky blackness of space.
    William Worrall, Space.com, 30 May 2026
  • Lighting the mood Production design includes dramatic lighting effects, intensely bright (oof, that spotlight) to sudden pitch-blackness.
    Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2026
Noun
  • That intrigue and mysteriousness still rest in the canyon walls today.
    Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 13 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Darkness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkness. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.

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