umbra

noun

ˈəm-brə How to pronounce umbra (audio)
Definition of umbranext
1
as in shadows
a time or place of little or no light strange noises were coming from the wooded umbra beyond our campfire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for umbra
  1. shadows
  2. shadow
  3. dark
  4. shade
  5. darkness
  6. dusk
  7. black
  8. blackness
Noun
  • But out of the shadows emerges a former soldier known only as Berry, who starts building a secret resistance network.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 July 2026
  • Blume’s unobtrusive handiwork lifts Show Me the Body out of the shadows without sun-bleaching their craggy exterior.
    — Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026
Definition of shadows
Noun
  • Anyone who notices flashes, new floaters or a shadow in their vision should seek urgent eye care.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2026
  • Iran has long relied on a shadow fleet of oil tankers to evade US sanctions, selling most of its oil to China.
    — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Definition of shadow
Noun
  • One incident in June involved hundreds of teens convening after dark at Romare Bearden Park, where police arrested 23 teenagers and one adult and issued citations to 13 parents.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2026
  • Undeterred, Norway’s players celebrated with beer and waved as the party continued long after dark.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 14 July 2026
Definition of dark
Noun
  • Homes with too little tree coverage or that get a lot of direct afternoon sun will absorb more radiant heat that a home with natural shade.
    — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 17 July 2026
  • As the sun moves across the sky, the dual awnings help maintain shade from different angles.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 July 2026
Definition of shade
Noun
  • Still, there is a different feeling of watching a film on the big screen, the velvet darkness of the theater a portal into director Curry Barker’s sinister world of lonely young men and the fatal consequences of their heady desires.
    — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2026
  • Among the concerns was worry that schoolchildren would have to get to class in darkness.
    — Deepti Hajela, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Definition of darkness
Noun
  • The lights, which cover about a mile of the pathway, operate from dusk to dawn.
    — Emily Carmela Nelson, Idaho Statesman, 13 July 2026
  • The easiest solution is to not leave the cat food out after dusk.
    — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 13 July 2026
Definition of dusk
Noun
  • The tank tops are available in an array of solid colors—from basic blacks, whites, and beiges, to bright magenta and summery cerulean.
    — Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 19 July 2026
  • Choose classic black or white for your set of two, which sits solidly on any flat outdoor surface—no digging required.
    — Sarah Scott, Southern Living, 19 July 2026
Definition of black
Noun
  • Experts say that the biggest challenge at that extreme level of blackness is actually measuring it.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 June 2026
  • In the restaurant, my dad looked at me with the passionate conviction of a man who was confident in his Blackness and wanted nothing more than to pass it on.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 June 2026
Definition of blackness

Browse Nearby Words

ululating
umbra
umbrage
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Umbra.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/umbra. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on umbra

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about umbra

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dog days

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All