darned 1 of 2

variants also durned
Definition of darnednext

darned

2 of 2

verb

past tense of darn
as in stitched
to close up with a series of interlacing stitches in the old days, holes in socks had to be darned by hand

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 darned
Adjective
Heck, as recently as 2023 Cinderella took over the whole darned Final Four, with the Miami Hurricanes, FAU and San Diego State barging in. Greg Cote updated March 23, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026 The first revelation was apparently fine, but her mom blamed those darned permissive Jesuits at Holy Cross for the second. Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 13 Dec. 2025 Within days, the magic of agricultural alchemy will turn it all into the best darned fertilizer since God invented the chicken. Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Dec. 2025 Let’s cruise another groomer and try to remember how to make a gosh darned turn. Frederick Dreier, Outside, 2 Dec. 2025 An allied assertion is that if AI generates foul code, tell the AI to get its act together and fix the darned stuff. Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025 America’s sweetheart doesn’t need any more good press from anyone—I’d bet my fortune that she could be elected Queen of Tennessee, Constitution-be-darned, if elections were held today. Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
Verb
Much is made of the iconography of the character of Mary Poppins — one of cinema's most famous, hyperbole be darned — but perhaps not enough is owed to how Julie Andrews, on the cusp of 30, simultaneously brought green charisma and decades of wisdom to the magical, practical nanny. Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026 If only that darned Joseph Stalin hadn’t come along. Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026 More holes had been worn through the holes that had been darned. Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025 The Triumph was, and still is, honest, authentic, and darned-near bulletproof. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 29 Aug. 2025 That would be a ripe spot to declare that the AI isn’t of professional quality and make darned sure to remove any wording that suggests otherwise. Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darned
Adjective
  • To have to come and be in this particular bracket every freaking year is unacceptable.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Pair the fuzzy crewneck top and subtle kick-flare pants with chic platform sneakers or breathable, on-trend Mary Janes (this pair from Rothy’s is so freaking comfortable).
    Annie Blackman, InStyle, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • However, Blackstone Valley returned to the ice for the first time since the fatal attack earlier this month, with players donning hearts stitched on the front of their jerseys with the initials of all three who died.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Jimmy Savile may not have been connected to Leeds United, but he was stitched into the fabric of the city.
    Simon Hughes, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Alex Jacobs, United States, 2026 A cursed artifact wrapped in static.
    William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Alex Jacobs, United States, 2026 A cursed artifact wrapped in static.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The surgeon sutured the wounds but knew the arm would have to be amputated.
    Sarah El Deeb, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
  • The travelogue portion of Walking the Bypass is sutured, sometimes maladroitly, to a history of the Crown’s abuses of Indigenous peoples.
    Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Just get the darn curler and invoke Hathor!
    Fiona Landers, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Helles Real won this whole darn thing in 2023, so that 2 seed is well-earned.
    Rasputin Todd, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • When a fiber breaks, and most will at some point, it’s repaired, often at a cost of millions or even tens of millions of dollars.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Not everyone can be Justin Verlander, an ex-teammate of Cole’s who won his third Cy Young at age 39 in 2022, the season after having his own ulnar collateral ligament repaired.
    Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • She got caught in a really bad cycle, and just seeing that video, and yes, the child being involved is awful; everyone involved is really hard.
    McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
  • That defense was looking awful.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • But Kardashian celebrated its terrible reviews, and the series was renewed for a second season.
    Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2026
  • One hundred fifteen years later, a memorial to the workers who died reveals itself as a reminder that workers’ rights were purchased at a terrible cost, and that the lives lost there still ask something of us.
    Christina Ray Stanton, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Darned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darned. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.

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