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.
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Recent Examples of shadows
Vasily Grossman,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
Reflections, shadows and motion blur can all reduce detection confidence.
—
Freddy Kuo,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
In the twilight of the twentieth century, with the shadows of history all around, Ligeti cleared the stage for an infinite musical future.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
29 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
The Brilliance adjustment reduces highlights and pumps up shadows simultaneously, which can help an image look more balanced (similar to an HDR effect).
—
Michael Muchmore,
PC Magazine,
29 June 2026
Bringing it out of the shadows and into a more prominent location can help preserve a bit of family history, and that’s something that’s always worth passing down.
—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
28 June 2026
However long and tangled her rap sheet, Sugar sees her illuminatory potential through the grime and shadows of an unforgiving film-noir cityscape.
—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
27 June 2026
On Friday afternoon at Gillette Stadium near Boston, Stephan will emerge from a career in the shadows to take centre stage in the France dugout.
—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
26 June 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
Dark figures were darting through the shadows—Germans were carrying sacks and pillows to their building.
—
Vasily Grossman,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
Reflections, shadows and motion blur can all reduce detection confidence.
—
Freddy Kuo,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
In the twilight of the twentieth century, with the shadows of history all around, Ligeti cleared the stage for an infinite musical future.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
29 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
The Brilliance adjustment reduces highlights and pumps up shadows simultaneously, which can help an image look more balanced (similar to an HDR effect).
—
Michael Muchmore,
PC Magazine,
29 June 2026
Bringing it out of the shadows and into a more prominent location can help preserve a bit of family history, and that’s something that’s always worth passing down.
—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
28 June 2026
However long and tangled her rap sheet, Sugar sees her illuminatory potential through the grime and shadows of an unforgiving film-noir cityscape.
—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
27 June 2026
On Friday afternoon at Gillette Stadium near Boston, Stephan will emerge from a career in the shadows to take centre stage in the France dugout.
—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
26 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
-
Even an aggressive plaintiff would know that lingering past dark wouldn’t go over well in court.
-
News of a glow-in-the-dark Nike Air Foamposite Pro first materialized in November, with early reports of a Summit White/Black colorway enhanced with the glowing treatment.
Verb
-
Combined, the handful of upside surprises is making for a stronger-than-expected domestic box office and a promising foundation for the second half of the year as the industry chases pre-pandemic levels.
-
Kylian Mbappé of France chases the ball during their match against Iraq.
Verb
-
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.
-
As the line blurs, sometimes exes remain in your life, and friends might become lovers.
Verb
-
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.
-
Nieusma notes that calendula grows low to the ground, forming a ground cover that shades the soil and suppresses weeds.
Noun
-
As darkness settled over Washington Square Park, supporters formed circles, waved Ghanaian flags and continued singing Jama into the evening.
-
Or perhaps more accurately, like a gleeful romp with friends through a haunted-house attraction at a regional fair, with various creepy creatures leaping suddenly out of the darkness.
Verb
-
Most are left by parents or caregivers by accident, according to the organization Kids and Car Safety, which tracks such deaths.
-
The LineShine machine, housed at the National Supercomputing Center in China’s tech hub of Shenzhen, replaced the American titleholder El Capitan in the latest biannual TOP500 ranking, which tracks the world’s most powerful supercomputers.
Verb
-
Start with a distinction that scale obscures.
-
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.
Verb
-
The roof’s steep metal surface not only protects the home from cold winds, but creates enough height for an additional sleeping loft.
-
Colorado currently protects the right of transgender student-athletes to compete on school and collegiate sports teams that align with their gender identity.
Cite this Entry
“Shadows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shadows. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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