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
Right away, its stark-black exterior captivates, having been treated with the Japanese technique shou sugi ban that preserves and darkens its cedar cladding.
—
Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2025
Ramadan in Gaza In Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, AP video showed a long table set for the breaking of the day’s Ramadan fast, snaking through the ruins and lit by strings of lights as the sky darkened.
—David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025
During the day, their color darkens.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2025
Shared pool, pet-friendly, concierge, bike rentals, room-darkening shades Proximity is a big perk when staying at this luxe bungalow villa—downtown Tulum is just five minutes away by car, 10 minutes from the beach, and 15 minutes from Gran Cenote and Kaan Luum Lagoon.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2025
Ramadan in Gaza In Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, AP video showed a long table set for the breaking of the day’s Ramadan fast, snaking through the ruins and lit by strings of lights as the sky darkened.
—David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025
During the day, their color darkens.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2025
Shared pool, pet-friendly, concierge, bike rentals, room-darkening shades Proximity is a big perk when staying at this luxe bungalow villa—downtown Tulum is just five minutes away by car, 10 minutes from the beach, and 15 minutes from Gran Cenote and Kaan Luum Lagoon.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken
Verb
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Bolsonaro, who had sat apart from the other candidates, frowned furiously.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
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There were even rumors that sneezing in McMahon's presence was frowned upon, as it was perceived as a sign of weakness.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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As the water diluted the stains, the fabric faded to a soft pink.—
Rebecca Ruth Gould,
JSTOR Daily,
9 Apr. 2025
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In the world of fashion, trends emerge and fade quickly, particularly among teenagers.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The recipient's name was obscured, and it was noted that the migrant refused to sign it on Friday.—
Andrew Chung, Luc Cohen, Kristina Cooke,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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But the short-term bump in the stock price obscures a much more complicated picture.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The dashboard was part of an extended pressure campaign from Buttigieg, who, during his tenure in the Biden administration, publicly challenged the major carriers to improve service and transparency—particularly after a summer marred by cancellations and flight delays.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
8 Apr. 2025
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Indeed, Delaney’s personal life has been marred by what appears to be a pretty entrenched drinking problem, which has affected her career and led to very un-Diane Russell-like brushes with the law, the Daily Mail and other outlets have reported.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Perhaps the Staring Girl is just that, a staring girl.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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But Oskar continued to be mesmerized, staring at the rotating blades.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Unlike a total solar eclipse, when the disk of the sun is completely blackened, an eclipsed moon does not vanish completely from the sky.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
TIME,
11 Mar. 2025
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But the negro resents and utterly repudiates the effort to blacken his good name by asserting that assaults upon women are peculiar to his race.—
Liz Tracey,
JSTOR Daily,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Though rooted in self-love, these trends can blur the line between care and consumerism.—
Jasmine Browley,
Essence,
26 Mar. 2025
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On the other hand, holding a company liable for one person’s speech blurs the line between individual and collective responsibility.—
Kwame Anthony Appiah,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 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 22 Apr. 2025.
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