1
as in to stain
to make dirty
blackened the towels with their dirty hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to libel
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the politician maliciously blackened his opponent's reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to darken
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
thick smoke from the forest fires blackened the sky for many miles
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blacken
Historians will see the fires that blackened much of Los Angeles this year as one of the state’s most significant events and how recovery is managed, or mismanaged, will be legend.
—
Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2025
The Silverado fire broke out on Oct. 26, 2020, near Santiago and Silverado canyon roads and blackened about 12,400 acres.
—City News Service, Orange County Register, 11 Feb. 2025
Get The Recipe 14 of 25 Bronzed Redfish Bronzed is a play on blackened, a technique used to crust an ingredient, like this fish, in flavorful spices and deeply toast it until black.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2025
The brush fire blackened about 100 square feet before being extinguished by firefighters, deputies said in the news release.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2025
The Silverado fire broke out on Oct. 26, 2020, near Santiago and Silverado canyon roads and blackened about 12,400 acres.
—City News Service, Orange County Register, 11 Feb. 2025
Get The Recipe 14 of 25 Bronzed Redfish Bronzed is a play on blackened, a technique used to crust an ingredient, like this fish, in flavorful spices and deeply toast it until black.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2025
The brush fire blackened about 100 square feet before being extinguished by firefighters, deputies said in the news release.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blacken
Verb
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Many shoppers even added DIY elements, such as staining it, incorporating trellises for climbing vines, and casters for easy moving.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Mar. 2025
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Also, ensure there is no debris or dirt stuck to the wheels or base of the machine that could stain the carpet when rolled on it.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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As a new, inexpensive Chevrolet appeared in 1927 and The Dearborn Independent was sued for libeling a number of Jewish businessmen, Ford threw in the towel and apologized.—
George Pendle,
airmail.news,
15 Mar. 2025
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Wright got so big on social media even Piers Morgan invited her to libel Jay Z and Beyonce on his platform.—
Rob Marriott,
VIBE.com,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Unlike a total eclipse, where the moon completely blocks the sun, a partial eclipse does not darken the sky significantly.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Mar. 2025
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In the 2000s, her hair darkened, appearing more dark purple than red, with her makeup turning cooler with neutral-toned browns (see: VH1’s Save The Music Foundation in 2003).—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Grease dirtied the handles of the ovens, the microwave ovens and the coolers.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2025
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Instead of dirtying a larger pot for your supporting dishes, this quaint cooker will come in handy for quick (or slower simmering) concoctions while matching your kitchen atmosphere.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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By that point the sweatshirt was smeared with their many flavors on offer: chocolate, pistachio and Biscoff.—
Kiana Hayeri,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
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Assailants have stalked them in public and smeared them online.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Baseball’s celebration of that day often obscures the fact that MLB hasn’t been African American friendly in decades.—
Terence Moore,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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As recalls have been announced, Cybertruck sales have seemingly slumped, as Tesla obscured the true figures by lumping numbers in with sales of Model X and Model S, MotorTrend reported.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Other attempts to besmirch her also fell short — as in the 2024 election, when former Sen. Randolph Bracy launched an ugly attempt to oust her from the District 15 Senate seat.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
Orlando Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2025
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With her buzz cut and Bikini Kill T-shirt, Brie Larson’s Elektra is presented as a rebel, a provocateur, and the kind of obsessively angry soul who might well carry her microphone around town in order to besmirch her mother and berate the world.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Trump World even humiliated Abe by letting it be known that Abe had nominated the U.S. leader for a Nobel Peace Prize.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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The temptation for Russia to humiliate London and Paris - by breaking any ceasefire with an attack carried out hundreds of miles away from British and French troops stuck in the capital - could prove hard to resist.—
Andrew Carey,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blacken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blacken. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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