darkness

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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 But there’s also darkness in Cherry’s past, including an ex-boyfriend who has either terribly wronged her or been terribly wronged by her. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025 Per Nielsen, the afternoon windows from eight years ago were down 13% versus the analogous lineup in 2016, as millions of large Florida markets were plunged into darkness … and untold scores of fans in adjacent states switched over to the Weather Channel and various news outlets. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Thank you for showing us the light when all too often darkness can consume us. Simon Perry, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Gradually, the darkness surrounding them gave way to buildings and overhead lights, until the red of dawn enveloped the coast alongside them. Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for darkness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkness
Noun
  • His dark, calculating gaze takes ahold of me with all the intensity of a bolt of lightning striking me down from above.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Enjoy Local Nightlife For a small town, Bryan is surprisingly happening after dark.
    Jill Robbins, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • According to the outlet’s research findings, uncertainty and ambiguity are hallmarks of entrepreneurship.
    Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Curiosity and possibly even lust play into their first encounter; part of the welcome complexity between this pale-skinned woman of substance and this tall, equally alabaster, formerly dead drink of water is the ambiguity in their initial interactions.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • With the big night almost here, here's what to know about the award ceremony and how to watch it.
    Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
  • The crowd takes it all in wearing headphones with green lights, turning the night into a kind of silent disco in a scene straight out of Mad Max.
    David Hochman, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Fair-weather waterspouts form along the base of clouds, starting on the water's surface and don't typically include high winds or thunderstorms, NOAA said.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • This path is for the organization that values neutrality and wants to manage all cloud providers as interchangeable resources.
    Serge Lucio, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • From Hertz's controversial AI vehicle scanners to hotel vape detectors, to airline pricing algorithms possibly jacking up fares, these systems operate in the shadows while your wallet takes a hit.
    Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Two Pianos begins in the thick of night, saturated in the sepia shadows of the Vieux Lyon quarter’s historic architecture and cobblestone streets, and moves gradually toward a crisp autumn light.
    Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The deal, pending the approval of Major League Baseball, capped a 10-month sale process that had cast a pall over the franchise and had already been marred by billionaire Justin Ishbia abandoning his pursuit of the Twins to instead buy eventual control of the White Sox.
    Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
  • But the threat of being attacked publicly by Trump, with midterms one year away, has cast a pall over most Republicans who may have once been inclined to rein in executive powers — and have now seen enthusiastic Trump supporters oust a growing cast of moderate former colleagues.
    Allan Smith, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The blue sky gave way to the blackness of space about 8 minutes and 4o seconds after leaving the ground.
    Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • But the town’s blackness isn’t just about coal—or, for that matter, about the police abuse Shinhye suffers there.
    Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Its central glass dome—home to the swimming paradise—glows like a lantern at dusk.
    Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The two halves of the body had been carefully placed, lined up, and posed for public view on Norton Avenue, with its considerable foot traffic from dawn to dusk.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Darkness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkness. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

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