1
as in dusk
a time or place of little or no light
lovers would often retreat to the gloaming of the park's many secluded recesses to steal a kiss
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in night
the time from when the sun begins to set to the onset of total darkness
with the gloaming came the familiar call of the whip-poor-will
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of gloaming
The mirror’s surface turned suddenly iridescent, like an oil slick beneath a gloaming.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
Perhaps swallow-tail bee-eaters, Africa openbill storks, and Burchell’s starlings, their stunning plumage flashing blue-green in the pink-gold gloaming: such sightings lend instant credence to the adage that Africa will make a birder out of anyone.
—Alexandra Kirkman, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
There is an excellent chance that one of the world’s two best golfers will be sliding his arms into a green jacket in the sweet gloaming of Sunday evening just outside the Augusta National clubhouse.
—Jason Sobel, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Just across the street was a second landfill, belonging to a Texas company called Weeks Environmental, whose own black mountain—nearly ten million additional barrels of waste—rose into the Texas gloaming.
—Justin Nobel, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
So imagine everyone’s delight when Bennifer reemerged from the gloaming after Lopez split with fiance Alex Rodriguez.
—Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 17 July 2022
The game down on the field seems to be played in the gloaming.
—Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Jan. 2022
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
Perhaps swallow-tail bee-eaters, Africa openbill storks, and Burchell’s starlings, their stunning plumage flashing blue-green in the pink-gold gloaming: such sightings lend instant credence to the adage that Africa will make a birder out of anyone.
—Alexandra Kirkman, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
There is an excellent chance that one of the world’s two best golfers will be sliding his arms into a green jacket in the sweet gloaming of Sunday evening just outside the Augusta National clubhouse.
—Jason Sobel, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Just across the street was a second landfill, belonging to a Texas company called Weeks Environmental, whose own black mountain—nearly ten million additional barrels of waste—rose into the Texas gloaming.
—Justin Nobel, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
So imagine everyone’s delight when Bennifer reemerged from the gloaming after Lopez split with fiance Alex Rodriguez.
—Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 17 July 2022
The game down on the field seems to be played in the gloaming.
—Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Jan. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gloaming
Noun
-
Some planets — like Venus and Mercury — are inherently difficult to spot due to their tight orbit around our parent star, which keeps them low on the horizon around dawn or dusk.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Unlike some of Dubai’s city centre skyscrapers, where rooms are hermetically sealed within glass and steel, every accommodation comes with its own spacious balcony for lounging and gazing at the sun setting over the sea or the city lighting up at dusk.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Firefighters also worked through the night to put out fires in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, where two people were injured, officials said.—
AAMER MADHANI AND SUSIE BLANN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
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An explosion was reported at a metal fabricating plant on Thursday night in Pennsylvania, according to officials.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The changes also allowed Mingo to step out of the shadows cast by André DeShields and Richard Pryor, who played the Wiz in the original Broadway show and 1978 movie adaptation, and make the role his own.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
7 Jan. 2026
-
In it, prisoners trapped inside a cave perceive the world only through shadows cast by outside objects.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Among its 420 public beautiful beaches are plentiful opportunities to swim, lay out, look at tide pools, surf to your heart's content, or watch the sunset.—
Alanna Bennett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Charlotte temperatures will rise into the upper 30s Monday, helping to melt ice on roads, but a refreeze will likely happen after sunset, according to the National Weather Service.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For pure spectacle, Mardi Gras World reveals how the city’s legendary floats come alive; Vue Orleans delivers 360-degree views and smart interactive storytelling; and New Orleans Secrets tours takes you inside haunted buildings after dark for a paranormal experience with real atmospheric bite.—
Sophie Morgan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Life’s basic chemistry may start not in warm ponds on young planets but in the icy dark between the stars.—
William A. Haseltine,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Talton described sitting in a wheelchair outside the hospital, watching the downtown Phoenix skyline at twilight.—
Richard Ruelas,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
During totality, temperatures drop, and the daytime sky turns twilight-blue.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Passengers get to see Earth against the blackness of space and experience a few minutes of weightlessness.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
18 Dec. 2025
-
The thrill of pushing the pace on terrain that remained shrouded in blackness until illuminated two seconds before our wheels were suddenly navigating its rocks and cliffs and cactus pushed all else from the mental spotlight.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
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But because this all unfolded early on a Saturday morning, and oil-futures trading doesn’t open until Sunday evening, investors had a slight buffer.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
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The Senate passed a spending bill Friday evening that extends spending for the Department of Homeland Security − which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol − for two weeks while lawmakers negotiate over ICE reforms, and funds other government agencies through September.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gloaming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gloaming. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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