SHADOWS Synonyms: 131 Similar and Opposite Words

shadows 1 of 2

noun

plural of shadow

as in dark

a time or place of little or no light lurking in the shadows

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shadows

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of shadow

as in chases

to go after or on the track of shadowing the suspect to see what he was up to

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in blurs

to make dark, dim, or indistinct thickening clouds shadowed the countryside

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in shades

to shelter (something) from light and heat a pathway shadowed by a canopy of arching branches

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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

Noun

These new developments bring into fuller view some questions that could only linger in the shadows when Shannon and I spoke. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026 In the long shadows of the Pacific Northwest, the Yanks were fortunate not to trail 5-1 at the half — and their lone goal came on a Malik Tillman free kick that deflected off a Belgian defender’s head into the net. — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026 Inside the butterfly, Sinot applied a shimmery blend of icy white and mauve shadows anchored by a thick wing of black eyeliner and lush false lashes. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 6 July 2026 The rig even measures the shadows between fingers and other body parts, so they can be recreated with perfect accuracy. — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026 Running on a seamless Fire TV operating platform, its Total HDR Solution natively balances complex Dolby Vision, HDR10+ Adaptive, and HLG video feeds to remove muddled shadows (big win). — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 July 2026 McDonald’s Official Instagram posted a teaser featuring the characters’ shadows zooming through the universe, past stars that form a Happy Meal. — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Dark figures were darting through the shadows—Germans were carrying sacks and pillows to their building. — Vasily Grossman, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 The movie is an apex of film noir, filled with dark shadows, moody lighting and ominous swaying palm trees. — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 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

Firefighting planes briefly engaged but could not operate after dark.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Summer Triangle By early July, the Summer Triangle dominates the sky after dark.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 July 2026

Definition of dark

Verb

Seconds later, Bella, an 11-year-old husky, jumps in and chases the bear across the driveway and away from the child.

— Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 8 July 2026
Tired of spending his days simply delighting in psychological torture and revenge, Lestat publicly chases the life of a famous rock star, writing and producing an album and performing in a cross-country tour while maintaining a fake vampire persona.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 7 July 2026

Definition of chases

Verb

The result blurs the line between shimmer and velvet-matte, and looks like condensation fogging up a glass.

— Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 6 July 2026
Critics say the reading list lacks diversity, blurs the separation of church and state that is enshrined in the Constitution and leaves teachers and students with little room to decide what to read.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 June 2026

Definition of blurs

Verb

Gabriel and Haaland are key men for their countries, too; whoever shades their personal duel will have a great chance of finishing on the winning team.

— Jack Lang, New York Times, 5 July 2026
The thick debris mantle shades the ice, keeping it colder, similar to how ski areas have started covering their slopes with reflective blankets in summer to stave off melting.

— Ashlesha Khatiwada, The Conversation, 1 July 2026

Definition of shades

Noun

With Te Fiti gone, a terrible darkness began slowly taking hold of the islands and their surrounding waters.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
In the pitch black darkness the mothership had officially landed, and alien-like squid were about to come in like, well, squid to a glowing party boat.

— Matthew Every, Outdoor Life, 8 July 2026

Definition of darkness

Verb

For example, the Invesco QQQ Trust Series, better known by its ticker QQQ, tracks the technology-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index and has $482 billion in assets.

— Bailey Lipschultz, Fortune, 5 July 2026
The same simulation also tracks how often each team reaches each stage of the bracket, including the quarterfinals, semifinals, final, third-place match, runner-up finish, and championship.

— Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of tracks

Verb

While institutional incentives aren't wrong, portraying them solely as student benefits obscures a critical reality.

— Scott White, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
But the total tally obscures how there were basically two types of Davis residents, those living close to the project and those living elsewhere in town.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2026

Definition of obscures

Verb

Habeas corpus is a basic legal principle that protects people from being unlawfully detained and the petition allows immigrants like Wilber to challenge the legality of their detention.

— Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Streamline a tricky task with a co-worker, update an invoice, or create a cleaner process that protects your time and self-respect.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2026

Definition of protects

Browse Nearby Words

shadowlike

shadows

shadowy

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“Shadows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shadows. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of shadows

noun

verb

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