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
Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
Charlotte loves Willow and will do anything to keep her alive and well, which leaves Amelia, Willow’s healthy older sister, in the shadows.
—Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
Upstairs, the dining room opens into deep blue walls, heavy and soft with deliberate shadows.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
Mostly, however, Gee’s sophisticated, stealthily moving film folds any bursts of emotion into its exquisitely dark shadows, letting Evans’ limpid but heartsore music do most of the weeping.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Barca were just chasing shadows.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Rutledge is also the lighting designer for a show that takes light and shadows very seriously.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
The low-down dive bar is draped in painterly shadows inspired by Renaissance masters, the stale cigarette stench palpable.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Rushdie finally came out of the shadows.
—Anderson Cooper, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Anna Zacharias, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 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
When exhaustion overtakes them, something more sinister comes creeping from the shadows.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
Charlotte loves Willow and will do anything to keep her alive and well, which leaves Amelia, Willow’s healthy older sister, in the shadows.
—Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
Upstairs, the dining room opens into deep blue walls, heavy and soft with deliberate shadows.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
Mostly, however, Gee’s sophisticated, stealthily moving film folds any bursts of emotion into its exquisitely dark shadows, letting Evans’ limpid but heartsore music do most of the weeping.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Barca were just chasing shadows.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Rutledge is also the lighting designer for a show that takes light and shadows very seriously.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
The low-down dive bar is draped in painterly shadows inspired by Renaissance masters, the stale cigarette stench palpable.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Rushdie finally came out of the shadows.
—Anderson Cooper, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
In the early morning, shadows pool deep in the gorge, while the upper rims catch the sun, glowing pale gold.
—Anna Zacharias, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 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
-
Colder air will move in after dark with increasing snow intensity expected and roadways becoming dangerous.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The campaign nods to archival Loro Piana communication from the 1990s and to campaigns dedicated to the precious dark Merino Pecora Nera wool, to its signature White Sole shoe, and to the Loro Piana Record Bale Award.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The new owner is Gary (Justin Kirk), who chases off anyone who comes around.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Next to Pika Pika Paradise is a colorful birthday cake filled with Alcremie, and a Kangaskhan and Dragonite battle as a Fidough chases Eevees nearby.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
At times, the distinction between mood and physical description blurs.—
Jasmine Vojdani,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
-
As Nick and Jacki’s conversations deepen, the line between witness and participant blurs, forcing both to confront what justice demands, what belief requires, and the perilous distance between true freedom and the illusion of self-determination.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The skin tone shades work as a complexion product or a powder, while the universal shades can be used to prep the skin.—
Essence Wiley,
InStyle,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Tall grass also shades weed seedlings, preventing them from expanding and overtaking desirable grass plants, better than short turf.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel already established a Gothic world in which the trauma is as loud as the wind on the moors, and Emerald Fennell’s adaptation excises major portions of the book to streamline that atmospheric darkness and ultimate tragedy.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Light lives in darkness just as darkness lives in light.—
Alex Suskind,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At least 77 people were killed and dozens injured in various attacks, mostly by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, in densely populated areas, according to Sudan Doctors Network, a group that tracks violence through the war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The quarter-sized wearable device clips onto people's underwear and tracks their intestinal gas using electrochemical sensors.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But despite the new program’s promising rhetoric, the scientific framing of the announcement obscures a deeper policy problem.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Rather than scrolling, people are reading of the mist that obscures Yorkshire moors and its inhabitants’ judgments.—
Hannah Benson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This violates the 4th Amendment, which protects people (including noncitizens) from unreasonable searches and seizures in their homes.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The plant cell wall protects the carbs from dissolving in water.—
Michaeleen Doucleff,
NPR,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shadows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shadows. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
