1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
with its only light burned out, the closet was pitch-dark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 pitch-dark
On school days, that meant waking up in pitch-dark and walking to the bus stop with a flashlight.
—
Literary Hub, 25 Feb. 2026
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
In the pitch-dark room, Heath remembers hearing the call to prayer in the morning.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Despite hundreds of Americans being fired or suspended by employers as a result, the pitch-dark humor that permeates our social media ecosystem was not to be suppressed.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Dec. 2025
One of the officers, a special-forces commando who discussed the operation on condition of anonymity, recalls lying in the pitch-dark belly of a river barge alongside dozens of his comrades, all of them armed to the hilt, eyeing one another through night-vision goggles.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
But Byrne was also attuned to the script’s undercurrent of pitch-dark humor.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2025
Berger based his claim on the fossils being found in narrow, pitch-dark chambers, far from natural entrances or evidence of animal activity.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
On a Saturday morning in July, my mom’s silhouette appears in the doorway of my pitch-dark childhood bedroom.
—Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2022
Literary Hub, 25 Feb. 2026
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
In the pitch-dark room, Heath remembers hearing the call to prayer in the morning.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Despite hundreds of Americans being fired or suspended by employers as a result, the pitch-dark humor that permeates our social media ecosystem was not to be suppressed.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Dec. 2025
One of the officers, a special-forces commando who discussed the operation on condition of anonymity, recalls lying in the pitch-dark belly of a river barge alongside dozens of his comrades, all of them armed to the hilt, eyeing one another through night-vision goggles.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
But Byrne was also attuned to the script’s undercurrent of pitch-dark humor.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2025
Berger based his claim on the fossils being found in narrow, pitch-dark chambers, far from natural entrances or evidence of animal activity.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
On a Saturday morning in July, my mom’s silhouette appears in the doorway of my pitch-dark childhood bedroom.
—Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitch-dark
Adjective
-
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 increases will also apply to black car, taxi and limousine drivers who currently don’t pay anything to drop off passengers curbside at the airport.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The joint venture, which launched March 5, showcases a lightweight low-runner shape in four colorways (natural grey, mustard yellow, burgundy, and black), built around core principles of sustainability and minimalism—an approach both brands have long championed.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Police released an image captured from a surveillance video showing a person wearing dark clothes and a backpack, with their face covered.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
-
But the late-Baroque facade of the building conceals a special, darker history, one that reflects persistent political and legal problems for the bank thousands of miles away, in the US.—
Hugo Miller,
Bloomberg,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Xiao Sang slowly approached the well’s edge and looked down into it, into the pitch-black below.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The cave was pitch-black, silent, and alive with what looked like a galaxy of bioluminescent stars.—
Jordi Lippe-McGraw,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
What that résumé doesn’t show, however, is Sinofsky’s entanglement in the murkier corners of the business world.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The power of the rap lies in the murky mystery behind it.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pitch-dark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitch-dark. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
