1
as in to frown
to take on a gloomy or forbidding look
his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to obscure
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
years of accumulated grime have darkened the painting until it can barely be seen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to mar
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of darken
The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index hit its lowest level since 2022, with most respondents citing the darkening picture around the broader economy as their main concern.
—
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025
The spring sky darkened over the parking lot of the Swannanoa Ingles.
—Sara Murphy, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2025
Keeping the Trump tax cuts in place would significantly darken the country’s fiscal outlook.
—Andrew Duehren, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Noticeable alterations in vulvar skin color or texture, such as redness, whiteness, or darkening.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025
The spring sky darkened over the parking lot of the Swannanoa Ingles.
—Sara Murphy, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2025
Keeping the Trump tax cuts in place would significantly darken the country’s fiscal outlook.
—Andrew Duehren, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Noticeable alterations in vulvar skin color or texture, such as redness, whiteness, or darkening.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken
Verb
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If your health care provider and/or hospital frown upon it, find one that does not.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2025
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Meanwhile, loud prints and bright colors are frowned upon — something tournament organizers addressed with Jason Day in 2024.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Hope for a similar easy resolution for the Wentz family quickly faded.—
Mara Bovsun,
New York Daily News,
3 May 2025
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The issue of student rights has faded from headlines, though obstacles linger.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 May 2025
Verb
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Iben believes that this simple truth—understood intuitively by earlier generations of investors—has been obscured in an era dominated by short-term thinking and monetary distortion.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Molina writes in pulse-like scenes, and each vignette thickens the novel’s uneasy atmosphere, obscuring our conception of place and, eventually, our conception of what’s real.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Sadly, the price of an alternative school was too high, and she was forced to send her children to public schools marred by gang violence and bullying.—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
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Oracle has struggled with a thorny, years-long EHR rollout with the Department of Veterans Affairs, marred by patient safety concerns.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The goal was to execute highly choreographed, ultra-precise movements, all while staring directly at the audience.—
Andrew Lampert,
Artforum,
1 May 2025
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Whereas other toddlers might listen for a spell and then peel away to do something more interesting, like chase a passing dog or stare at an iPad, Julian could focus for an hour straight, totally mesmerized.—
Ashlea Halpern,
AFAR Media,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The mains are just as exciting, with dishes like Thai basil yellowfin tuna and blackened redfish on offer.—
Amanda Ogle,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Apr. 2025
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One time, alone in a lean-to of sticks in Florida, something huge blackened the night nearby.—
Blair Braverman,
Outside Online,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But Mills and his colleagues have also spent the last four years working on ways to blur the lines between Disney’s linear and streaming properties in order to maximize audience potential for the company’s unscripted assets.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
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The site’s newfound might may blur the lines between editorial and matchmaking, but those charges aren’t exactly new.—
Jason Clinkscales,
Sportico.com,
2 May 2025
Verb
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Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.—
Jack Fitzgerald,
Car and Driver,
13 Feb. 2023
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Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.—
Monica Mark,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darken. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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