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
Amanda Champagne-Meadows, Deadline, 26 Apr. 2026
Three generations of Nicolsons have grown strawberries on this roughly 9-acre patch of land along Route 66, nestled in the shadows of Southern California’s San Gabriel Mountains and tucked between a gas station, a golf course and a Walmart.
—Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
With this lunation radiating in the zodiac sign of Scorpio, we will be deeply focused on the shadows within ourselves and relationships.
—Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
Because what Wilson created with Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is a house of shadows and echoes.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
The rest of Malarial Dream maintains the opener’s energy while also diving into shadows.
—Marc Masters, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026
Otherwise, rooms are almost monastic in their lack of decorative elements and rely on the interplay of shadows and sunlight for interest.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
On this play for the third out in the second inning, Tatis was battling the shadows and took a step back before running up and making a sliding catch.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
The short answer is that a wide gulf exists between rumor and fact and Swalwell lurked in that gray space, living and thriving in the shadows between provability and denial.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
Then escape the skyscraper shadows into Hong Kong's New Territories.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 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
The Audacity creator Jonathan Glatzer and star Billy Magnussen, who plays wealthy tech CEO Duncan Park, took the stage at Deadline Contenders TV to talk about taking the tech monster lurking in the shadows and those responsible for its existence, and turning it into a comedy.
—Amanda Champagne-Meadows, Deadline, 26 Apr. 2026
Three generations of Nicolsons have grown strawberries on this roughly 9-acre patch of land along Route 66, nestled in the shadows of Southern California’s San Gabriel Mountains and tucked between a gas station, a golf course and a Walmart.
—Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
With this lunation radiating in the zodiac sign of Scorpio, we will be deeply focused on the shadows within ourselves and relationships.
—Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
Because what Wilson created with Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is a house of shadows and echoes.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
The rest of Malarial Dream maintains the opener’s energy while also diving into shadows.
—Marc Masters, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026
Otherwise, rooms are almost monastic in their lack of decorative elements and rely on the interplay of shadows and sunlight for interest.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
On this play for the third out in the second inning, Tatis was battling the shadows and took a step back before running up and making a sliding catch.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
The short answer is that a wide gulf exists between rumor and fact and Swalwell lurked in that gray space, living and thriving in the shadows between provability and denial.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
The corridor before him seems never-ending, extending miles, shadows short and dark, shadows light and long.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
Then escape the skyscraper shadows into Hong Kong's New Territories.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 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
-
Use landscape lighting to make a backyard usable after dark.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Celebrate by roaming the stacks after dark at this festival.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the Ring video, a person dressed in black pants and a gray T-shirt, with a gray sweatshirt draped over his shoulder, chases two dogs down a residential street, spraying them with pellets from what looks like a gel gun.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Or do coaches even matter and everyone just chases the bag?—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With four hard walls of solid weather protection and available heating and air conditioning, the Altus blurs the line between tent and RV, turning any pickup truck or 4x4 into a comfy camping rig with rock-solid all-season protection.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
22 Apr. 2026
-
This blurs the boundaries and risks jeopardizing some of the film and audiovisual industry support.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
20 Apr. 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
-
These ten compositions depend on lights in darkness, most commonly generated by candles, by the moon, or—as in the most famous painting here, An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (circa 1767)—by both.—
Julian Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Outside, flames streaked across the darkness.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 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,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Consider the kitchen, where the sun tracks across the island throughout the day thanks to the skylights above.—
Nick Mafi,
Architectural Digest,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What that survey obscures, however, is the cost of avoidance.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
-
But such language obscures patterns of danger that are recognizable, predictable – and, importantly, preventable.—
Kathryn Spearman,
The Conversation,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
City Council Speaker Julie Menin deserves credit for advancing legislation that protects synagogues, churches, mosques and other places of worship by deploying safety perimeters keeping protesters at a distance.—
Elliot Cosgrove,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Pro hairstylist Ryan Richman previously described this Briogeo cream as a lightweight, silicone-free heat-protectant cream that minimizes frizz, smooths hair, enhances shine, and protects against heat up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.—
Deanna Pai,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shadows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shadows. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
