as in darkened
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Recent Examples of penumbral
Total lunar eclipses require precise alignments, far more so than partial or penumbral events.
—
Jamie Carter, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Once the penumbral eclipse ends, the full Moon will be fully illuminated by direct sunlight again.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
The penumbral shadow is the outer, lighter portion, which only partially blocks sunlight.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2026
After this March event, Earth’s shadow will only skim the moon, creating less impactful partial and penumbral eclipses in late 2026, 2027 and 2028.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The stages of the eclipse include penumbral and umbral phases, which refer to the two main parts of the shadow that the moon casts.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
The stages of the eclipse include penumbral and umbral phases, which refer to the two main parts of the shadow that the moon casts.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Sep. 2025
Jamie Carter, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Once the penumbral eclipse ends, the full Moon will be fully illuminated by direct sunlight again.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
The penumbral shadow is the outer, lighter portion, which only partially blocks sunlight.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2026
After this March event, Earth’s shadow will only skim the moon, creating less impactful partial and penumbral eclipses in late 2026, 2027 and 2028.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The stages of the eclipse include penumbral and umbral phases, which refer to the two main parts of the shadow that the moon casts.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
The stages of the eclipse include penumbral and umbral phases, which refer to the two main parts of the shadow that the moon casts.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penumbral
Adjective
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As scientists often find darkened teeth in ancient burials, other factors can contribute to a black appearance, notably the chewing of betel leaves.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui posted a video to X over the weekend, showing a dazzling view of auroras spreading like a tall blanket over the darkened Earth below.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The dusky tetraka, a bird that had been rediscovered on another expedition in December 2022, was also not located in Makira.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
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And the dusky tetraka, a bird rediscovered on another expedition in December 2022, was not located in Makira, according to the release.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But best are moonless nights, when shimmering whorls of the Milky Way fill the night and desert creatures emerge to crawl and slither the dunes.—
Anna Zacharias,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Jan. 2026
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From total solar and lunar eclipses and brilliant planetary conjunctions to iconic meteor showers peaking under moonless night skies and a festive supermoon, there's something for everyone to enjoy.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
1 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In an ordinary car with an ordinary dash, all of that would live behind the cluster and relatively obscured from view, or ignored.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
18 Feb. 2026
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If your writing is dense, disorganized, or overloaded with technical jargon, the value of the underlying work can become obscured.—
Angelique Parashis,
IEEE Spectrum,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Photos of Trump at this year’s World Economic Forum in Switzerland show an even gnarlier darkish bruise on his left hand.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Its 19th-century spire lit up like a matchstick against the darkling sky, its tip cracking and plunging through the ceiling.—
Michael Kimmelman,
New York Times,
6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The difference is that Fedorova isn’t merely half aware of the obscure sources of her own thrills but obsessed by them.—
Lillian Fishman,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
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These aren’t obscure selections.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Fittingly, the song’s thumping beat is heard twice, real loud, in Rosebush Pruning, Karim Aїnouz’s high-gloss, pitch-dark satire about an American family described by one of its scions as mediocre, vapid egotists, who will never have to work thanks to a large inheritance.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
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In the pitch-dark room, Heath remembers hearing the call to prayer in the morning.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penumbral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penumbral. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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