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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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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Recent Examples of umbra
During a total lunar eclipse, the moon passes through the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, known as the umbra.
—
Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Sep. 2025
The umbra is a darker inner shadow and the penumbra is a fainter outer shadow, according to NASA.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Sep. 2025
Moon enters Earth's umbra, the innermost and darkest part of the Earth's shadow, causing a partial eclipse.
—Allison Kiehl, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
During totality, the moon gradually slips into Earth’s umbra—the darkest part of its shadow—yet never vanishes entirely.
—Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for umbra
Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Sep. 2025
The umbra is a darker inner shadow and the penumbra is a fainter outer shadow, according to NASA.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Sep. 2025
Moon enters Earth's umbra, the innermost and darkest part of the Earth's shadow, causing a partial eclipse.
—Allison Kiehl, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
During totality, the moon gradually slips into Earth’s umbra—the darkest part of its shadow—yet never vanishes entirely.
—Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for umbra
Recent Examples of Synonyms for umbra
Noun
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This quiz invites you to explore the darker corners of sci-fi literature, where monsters lurk not just in shadows, but in laboratories, alien worlds and post-apocalyptic wastelands.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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And while this civil war of sorts bloomed in the shadows in Kentucky, another culture sprung up in broad daylight.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The film follows a man returning to his village after years away, his violent past casting shadows on those who once knew him.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Sep. 2025
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The autumnal equinox is a sacred threshold, where day and night are equal, and we’re reminded of the delicate balance between light and shadow, growth and release.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
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When And Where To See It To see the Great Square, face east after dark.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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He is better known as Fray Tormenta, the orphanage-sponsoring priest who wrestled after dark, and whose life became the backstory for the movie’s titular character.—
Justin Barrasso,
Boston Herald,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Allure editorial assistant Jennet Jusu, who opted for shade Warm Honey, agrees that the shade matching was effortless.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
19 Sep. 2025
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Those Danessa Myricks blurring balms that offer a flawless complexion finish and luminous blush in all the right shades?—
Essence,
Essence,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Pricing can vary depending on the darkness and type of film used to tint windows.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
20 Sep. 2025
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Here, Nine Inch Nails revel in the darkness while letting some light bounce off their shades as well.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Unlike many formulas that start dewy and end up oily, or others that stay flat and one-dimensional from dawn to dusk, this one actually strikes the perfect balance.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
19 Sep. 2025
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At dusk, sip a soursop martini in Amanjiwo’s rice fields with stunning views of Mount Merapi as your backdrop.—
Desiree Norman,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The film, which largely unfolds on Christmas Eve, has a wonderful sense of the dying light of a late December day, the transition from a shade of damp gray to the inky black of night, and, even better, an actual sense of a particular American place.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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The clip shows a shower knob slowly being unscrewed from the wall before a tiny black, furry hand pokes through.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The blue sky gave way to the blackness of space about 8 minutes and 4o seconds after leaving the ground.—
Robert Z. Pearlman,
Space.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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But the town’s blackness isn’t just about coal—or, for that matter, about the police abuse Shinhye suffers there.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Umbra.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/umbra. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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