shadow 1 of 2

noun

ˈsha-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce shadow (audio)
Definition of shadownext
1
as in shade
partial darkness due to the obstruction of light rays the valley was in shadow

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in black
shadows plural a time or place of little or no light lurking in the shadows

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in trace
a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished a run-down mansion that is only a shadow of its former glory

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in glimmer
a very small amount not even a shadow of a doubt about the defendant's guilt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in ghost
the soul of a dead person thought of especially as appearing to living people rumors of a shadow haunting the castle

Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in cloud
an overspreading element that produces an atmosphere of gloom the husband's adulterous affair had cast over their marriage a shadow from which there was no escape

Synonyms & Similar Words

shadow

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to chase
to go after or on the track of shadowing the suspect to see what he was up to

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct thickening clouds shadowed the countryside

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to shade
to shelter (something) from light and heat a pathway shadowed by a canopy of arching branches

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 shadow
Noun
While Samsung and Google are scheduling high-profile launches of the Galaxy and Pixel this summer, Apple’s incoming CEO, John Ternus, is waiting in the shadow of September to learn from Apple’s rivals. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026 Bond has always been an intriguing vessel; by design, the spy is detached and isolated, a character who can disappear into the shadows and emerge totally fixated on a new mission with his past loves and losses brushed off with ease. — Emily Maskell, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
Verb
Within the extraordinary images, Chalamet is shadowed by geometric forms, moving through a landscape seemingly suspended between ancient civilization and science fiction. — Lara Johnson-Wheeler, Vogue, 3 July 2026 Defined by extreme cold, long periods of darkness, rugged landscapes and permanently shadowed craters, the lunar south pole is regarded as one of the most extreme environments humans will have ever explored, NASA says. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for shadow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shadow
  1. shade
  2. black
  3. trace
  4. glimmer
  5. ghost
  6. cloud
  7. chase
  8. obscure
Noun
  • Homes with too little tree coverage or that get a lot of direct afternoon sun will absorb more radiant heat that a home with natural shade.
    — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 17 July 2026
  • As the sun moves across the sky, the dual awnings help maintain shade from different angles.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 July 2026
Definition of shade
Noun
  • The tank tops are available in an array of solid colors—from basic blacks, whites, and beiges, to bright magenta and summery cerulean.
    — Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 19 July 2026
  • Choose classic black or white for your set of two, which sits solidly on any flat outdoor surface—no digging required.
    — Sarah Scott, Southern Living, 19 July 2026
Definition of black
Noun
  • The axes had traces of gold on the edge of them, suggesting this person worked with gold and probably other metals such as copper and bronze, Booth said.
    — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • Ungrounding, on the other hand, aims to remove a society from its place and erase all traces to its previous existence.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of trace
Noun
  • Burns, one of the team’s few bright spots this year, gives a glimmer of hope to the future in a season that has offered little.
    — C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • But forthcoming elections in Israel and the territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority provide a glimmer of hope.
    — Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
Definition of glimmer
Noun
  • The first major Roman poet, Ennius, describes a dream in which Homer’s ghost appeared to him and explained that souls transmigrate after bodily death; this poetic spirit would now take up residence in Ennius.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
  • When Odysseus meets Sinon’s ghost — enraged by the circumstances of his death outside Troy — at the entrance to the underworld during his voyage home, Sinon warns Odysseus of the dangers his family faces back in Ithaca.
    — Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
Definition of ghost
Noun
  • Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • Despite its correction, EWZ remains in a cyclical bull trend as defined by the weekly cloud model, denoted by the shaded area on the chart, which provides support for the uptrend aligned with former resistance near $34.
    — Katie Stockton, CNBC, 13 July 2026
Definition of cloud
Verb
  • Cubs chasing the Brewers A strong finish heading into the All-Star break is giving the Cubs a chance to chase down the division.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
  • Marco Tardelli, Italy vs West Germany, 1982 Italy exploit the space left behind as the Germans chase the game.
    — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of chase
Verb
  • Gros Morne National Park combines relatively dark skies with the deepest eclipse in eastern North America, with nearly half of the sun obscured at maximum.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 19 July 2026
  • Severely nearsighted, Isul wore eyeglasses with thick plastic lenses, which obscured her lovely, small eyes.
    — Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
Definition of obscure

Browse Nearby Words

shading
shadow
shadowed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shadow. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on shadow

Nglish: Translation of shadow for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of raffish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All