as in dark
a time or place of little or no light
lurking in the shadows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in chases
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 blurs
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
thickening clouds shadowed the countryside
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 shadows
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 May 2026
Craters, shadows and rugged lunar terrain that were barely visible to the naked eye suddenly came alive in remarkable detail.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 15 May 2026
His new film Fatherland, like Cold War and Ida, is shot in a lustrous monochrome that turns shadows into punctuation marks and sunbeams into something holy, and that makes its performers, chief among them an incredible Sandra Hüller, look lit from within.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Certainly, the images themselves are striking and dramatic, defined by strong shadows and a dynamic sensibility, with bodies constantly in motion.
—Amy Reyes, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
The first tease of the supernaturally chilling happens when Bear wakes up in the middle of the night, and Nikki’s in the shadows, talking but unable to be seen.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Your cow is now composed of some spots and a few shadows.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
The conflict is still personal, bruising, and intimate, but the scale has changed and Fisk is no longer a crime lord forced to hide in the shadows.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
This affects her professional life, but a bigger worry emerges from the shadows.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Cody Godwin, USA Today, 1 May 2026
My driver slowed on purpose, timing the arrival for that late-afternoon light when the stucco warms and shadows sharpen.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
The corridor before him seems never-ending, extending miles, shadows short and dark, shadows light and long.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
Through it all, Kate and William balanced expanding royal duties with school runs and family life, even as illness still shadows the monarchy.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
However, Quinyon Mitchell has taken a step up this season and shadows the NFL’s best receiver.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
If Gonzalez shadows Panthers rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina’s leading receiver, their battle could swing critical moments and perhaps the game.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
The movie’s ensemble also includes Alicia Vikander, Jeffrey Wright, and Tom Sturridge, but this is said to be Dano’s show, with Law’s Putin a malevolent presence who shadows his every move.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
However, the actor does most of the heavy lifting, even as Nemes’ aesthetic approach drowns the frame in striking shadows — a contrast made deep and inviting by Mátyás Erdély’s 35mm photography.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 May 2026
Craters, shadows and rugged lunar terrain that were barely visible to the naked eye suddenly came alive in remarkable detail.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 15 May 2026
His new film Fatherland, like Cold War and Ida, is shot in a lustrous monochrome that turns shadows into punctuation marks and sunbeams into something holy, and that makes its performers, chief among them an incredible Sandra Hüller, look lit from within.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Certainly, the images themselves are striking and dramatic, defined by strong shadows and a dynamic sensibility, with bodies constantly in motion.
—Amy Reyes, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
The first tease of the supernaturally chilling happens when Bear wakes up in the middle of the night, and Nikki’s in the shadows, talking but unable to be seen.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Your cow is now composed of some spots and a few shadows.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
The conflict is still personal, bruising, and intimate, but the scale has changed and Fisk is no longer a crime lord forced to hide in the shadows.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
This affects her professional life, but a bigger worry emerges from the shadows.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Verb
While darker colors remained visible, they could be mistaken for dirt, debris, or shadows underwater.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 1 May 2026
My driver slowed on purpose, timing the arrival for that late-afternoon light when the stucco warms and shadows sharpen.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
The corridor before him seems never-ending, extending miles, shadows short and dark, shadows light and long.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
Through it all, Kate and William balanced expanding royal duties with school runs and family life, even as illness still shadows the monarchy.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
However, Quinyon Mitchell has taken a step up this season and shadows the NFL’s best receiver.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
If Gonzalez shadows Panthers rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina’s leading receiver, their battle could swing critical moments and perhaps the game.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
The movie’s ensemble also includes Alicia Vikander, Jeffrey Wright, and Tom Sturridge, but this is said to be Dano’s show, with Law’s Putin a malevolent presence who shadows his every move.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shadows
Noun
-
Concrete dust clotted the air, turning the afternoon dark.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
-
The light-dark contrast that is the hallmark of great lawn striping is achieved by simply bending grass blades to reflect light in a specific way.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
On Bespin, the crew chases an Imperial officer through the skies of Cloud City, dodging freighters and TIE fighters.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
23 May 2026
-
While Silicon Valley chases incremental benchmark improvements, industrial leaders are working to earn their customers’ trust, shift by shift, through validated deployments that deliver concrete benefits.—
Chris Turlica,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
But let your mind wander, and Carlile and Doran’s digital wrangling blurs into a colorful, reverberant hum.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2026
-
This practice blurs the lines of community policing.—
Natasha Dartigue,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Unfortunately, Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) is invasive and quickly shades out other plants.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026
-
So that's the thing that keeps us cooler, shades us.—
March 9,
CBS News,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In an age in which every character needs to have some edginess or shadow of darkness in them, this Hutt is the contrary.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
22 May 2026
-
Without glowing screens, the darkness of the house envelops you even before the performance begins.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Every Friday morning, the weekly Fortune 500 Power Moves column tracks Fortune 500 company C-suite shifts—see the most recent edition.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
-
The data tracks debts – including mortgages, credit cards, auto and student loans – in 11 big states and the nation going back to 2003.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The resounding opposition figure, however, obscures the GOP split on the issue.—
Haris Alic,
The Washington Examiner,
15 May 2026
-
This narrative, reliably recycled by politicians seeking reelection and economists insulated from everyday pressures, obscures a more complicated reality.—
Gene Ludwig,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Car insurance protects you and other drivers from accidents, and it’s legally required for all drivers.—
Kate Tully Ellsworth,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
-
Those laws sought to alter the reporting structure for the secretary or the directors in violation of Amendment 33 of the Arkansas Constitution, which protects the vested powers of constitutional boards, like the Board of Corrections, from usurpation by the governor, the General Assembly or both.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shadows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shadows. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
