Synonyms of shadows

shadows 1 of 2

noun

plural of shadow

as in dark

a time or place of little or no light

lurking in the shadows

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dark
• darkness
• blackness
• black
• dusk
• night
• twilight
• gloom
• candlelight
• midnight
• semidarkness
• shade
• murk
• gloaming
• umbra
• blackout
• dullness
• dimness
• half-light
• murkiness
• grayness
• haziness
• paleness
• faintness
• umbrage
• cloudiness
• somberness
• shadiness
• gloominess
• mistiness
• brownout
• dimout
• fogginess

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• light
• glow
• brightness
• glare
• daylight
• day
• moonlight
• sunlight
• brilliance
• blaze
• lightness
• starlight
• sunshine
• radiance
• shine
• luminescence
• luminosity
• luminance
• effulgence
• radiancy
• incandescence
• luminousness

shadows

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of shadow

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

• chases
• tracks
• pursues
• traces
• escorts
• tails
• trails
• follows
• dogs
• runs after
• courses
• accompanies
• tags
• hounds
• bird-dogs
• eyes
• watches
• runs
• hunts
• seeks
• searches (for)
• chaperones
• observes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• leads
• guides
• pilots
• heads

2

as in blurs

to make dark, dim, or indistinct

thickening clouds shadowed the countryside

Synonyms & Similar Words

• blurs
• obscures
• darkens
• clouds
• blackens
• shrouds
• mists
• dims
• hazes
• overshadows
• fogs
• shades
• overcasts
• beclouds
• bedims
• overclouds
• fuzzes (up)
• hides
• befogs
• conceals
• dislimns
• eclipses
• masks
• blears
• curtains
• covers
• obliterates
• adumbrates
• cloaks
• screens
• camouflages
• blots out
• veils
• disguises

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• illuminates
• lights (up)
• reveals
• brightens
• illumines
• exposes
• lightens
• uncovers
• unveils

3

as in shades

to shelter (something) from light and heat

a pathway shadowed by a canopy of arching branches

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shades
• protects
• clouds
• covers
• dims
• overshadows
• darkens
• dulls
• overcasts
• screens
• canopies

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lights
• illuminates
• exposes
• lightens

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shadows

Noun

Ivan’s room feels practically airless, his face obscured in shadows, or captured in hazy side profiles, as Anica’s bright, concerned gaze holds the frame’s focus. — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026

While looking at the shadows, Crimmins allegedly maneuvered the grapple so that its shadow appeared to grab Lynch’s shadow. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Throw in a Black Equalizer, and enemies hiding in the shadows won’t stand a chance. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026

Out of the shadows The sudden death of Panettiere, who spent her childhood and teen years starring in big-budget films, has infused nuance into the conversation about maternal mental health. — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026

Senior tight end Ryan Wynn may have toiled in the shadows a year ago during Oswego’s surprising run to the Class 8A state championship game but his impact didn’t go unnoticed. — Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026

Fifty years in the shadows, gently nudging Southland kids into the light. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026

The two eclipses in 2026 and 2044 also come from the same repeating family of moon shadows, called Solar Saros 126, which produces a solar eclipse every 18 years, 11 days and 8 hours. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Those shadows create, in turn, three phases — penumbral, partial and total — as the moon passes through Earth's shadow. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

An unusually tight security detail shadows Rodríguez’s every step. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 30 July 2026

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