1
as in shadows
a time or place of little or no light
strange noises were coming from the wooded umbra beyond our campfire
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shadow
partial darkness due to the obstruction of light rays
during a solar eclipse observers located within the umbra experience a complete blocking of the sun by the moon
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of umbra
During the early morning hours, the full moon will gradually slip behind the darkest part of the Earth's shadow, or umbra, and take on a reddish hue.
—
John Tufts, IndyStar, 1 Mar. 2026
During this event, the entire moon passes through the Earth's umbra (the darkest part of its shadow), causing the moon to appear darkened or reddened.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Totality ends and the process reverses, with the umbra gradually retreating across the lunar surface.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
The umbra is the inner, darker shadow, where sunlight is fully blocked from reaching the Moon’s surface.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for umbra
John Tufts, IndyStar, 1 Mar. 2026
During this event, the entire moon passes through the Earth's umbra (the darkest part of its shadow), causing the moon to appear darkened or reddened.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Totality ends and the process reverses, with the umbra gradually retreating across the lunar surface.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
The umbra is the inner, darker shadow, where sunlight is fully blocked from reaching the Moon’s surface.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for umbra
Recent Examples of Synonyms for umbra
Noun
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As the players linked arms as one by one — five of them were brave enough to take on the enormous pressure of these penalties — in the shadows was the 2-1 defeat by Barcelona in their only other Champions League final twenty years ago.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
-
Pérez daring anyone in the shadows to step forward.—
Sam Leveridge,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
That moniker comes from a violent 1967 peasant uprising against oppressive landlords in Naxalbari, a village in the shadow of the Himalayan foothills in northeast India.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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That combination of the huge volume spike, along with the rapid decline in short interest with an incredibly fast parabolic rise in the share price, tells you beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was a short squeeze and a massive one at that.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Brith had shut her eyes, finding that the sparks were still living on the inside of the lids, vivid in their dangerous dark.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
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This week in Atlanta, discover a brunch club located in a chef’s apartment, hang out at a bookstore after dark, and get tickets for a wine dinner celebrating Black chefs and winemakers.—
Olivia Wakim,
AJC.com,
2 June 2026
Noun
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Whether bright red, jet black or a shade in between, natural hair color is determined by how much melanin is in your hair.—
Kathleen Felton,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
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Her mother is a short way off and has seated herself on a flattish rock in the shade of an oak tree.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Noun
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After more than a week huddled together in darkness, the five men trapped in a Laos cave received a message of hope when they were discovered by rescuers on Wednesday.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
That’s the recipe of avoiding the darkness in him.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Wearing long sleeves and long pants, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
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People can reduce their odds of getting West Nile by wearing insect repellent and covering skin while outdoors; limiting activity at dawn and dusk; emptying any standing water around their homes; and repairing door and window screens as necessary.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
2 June 2026
Noun
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First Light The environments here, and particularly the vast interiors, ooze with care and intention, many of them cast from the same black, gold, and occasionally red palette.—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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The Fitbit Air comes in multiple color options, including Berry (red), Fog (silver), Lavender (purple), or Obsidian (black).—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
30 May 2026
Noun
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From individual missions to tours aboard the ISS, video games have featured surprisingly often in the inky blackness of space.—
William Worrall,
Space.com,
30 May 2026
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Lighting the mood Production design includes dramatic lighting effects, intensely bright (oof, that spotlight) to sudden pitch-blackness.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Umbra.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/umbra. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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