as in dark
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
a darkening sky that seemed to match our downcast spirits
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in frowning
to take on a gloomy or forbidding look
his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news
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2
as in fading
to grow dark
the sky darkened as a storm moved in
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3
as in obscuring
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
years of accumulated grime have darkened the painting until it can barely be seen
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4
as in marring
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of darkening
Richard Brookhiser, National Review, 19 Dec. 2024
The weather is darkening, the leaves are falling and the zombies are nearing your doorstep.
—Annalise Frank, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
Still, not a lot of it is darkening investors’ psyches these days.
—Larry Light, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
Richard Nixon ran a similar playbook during his own presidential campaign in 1968, which took place amid a darkening war in Vietnam.
—Jeffrey A. Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2024
China’s rapid rearmament and the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are signs that the clouds are darkening.
—Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2024
Thank you for being a beacon of light in a darkening world.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2024
Verb
The flowers and the ferns put themselves to bed, shedding petals, drying and darkening, folding up.
—Richard Brookhiser, National Review, 19 Dec. 2024
The weather is darkening, the leaves are falling and the zombies are nearing your doorstep.
—Annalise Frank, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
Still, not a lot of it is darkening investors’ psyches these days.
—Larry Light, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
Richard Nixon ran a similar playbook during his own presidential campaign in 1968, which took place amid a darkening war in Vietnam.
—Jeffrey A. Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2024
China’s rapid rearmament and the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are signs that the clouds are darkening.
—Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2024
Thank you for being a beacon of light in a darkening world.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkening
Adjective
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Advertisement Sometime in the wee hours Sunday morning, the lights over the speedway went dark for the last time.Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
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Bye Bye Dark Spots Concealer + Serum actively treats discoloration with 2% niacinamide and helps brighten the look of dark circles, thanks to caffeine.Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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He was known for wearing balaclava and sunglasses in photographs, fully obscuring his face.Caroline Frost, Deadline, 22 Dec. 2024
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The dizzying pace of events since the collapse of Syria’s dictatorship, including daily revelations of its brutality leavened by inspiring images of celebration, has risked obscuring the single most important aspect of President Bashar al-Assad’s demise.Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Remember, this was a pretty bleak time for basic cable.Josef Adalian, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
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The reality that the Giants have four more games of this despair is painfully bleak.Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Today, Mount Tambora stands as a somber reminder of nature’s immense power.Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
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Sweet, downcast vocal performances vastly outnumber the raps, and there are punchy New Wave, goth-rock, folk, and grunge tunes where somber, gauzy trap productions once reigned.Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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God knows there are people out there in more difficult, dire or depressing situations than covering a sport for a salary.The Athletic NFL Staff, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
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No one wants to listen to depressing or hyper-serious Christmas songs.Brendan Menapace, SPIN, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Yet another was that depressive symptoms were self-reported, whereas clinical diagnosis is the gold standard for depression assessment.New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Dec. 2024
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Those who overestimated positive emotions, rather than focusing on negative ones, reported better well-being, fewer depressive symptoms and greater resilience.Mark Travers, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Potentially tripling the present number of shares available will dilute the value of every existing share, therefore lowering the percentage of ownership of every shareholder and maybe their influence over business choices.Jim Osman, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
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Unfortunately, lowering the risk of fractures and falls in older adults isn’t as simple as taking a supplement.Korin Miller, Health, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Defense lawyers said that speech included a series of improper and prejudicial comments against the defendants and their legal team, poisoning any potential jurors against them.Kate Brumback, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
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These are people who are here in this country, who have been murdering, raping, poisoning our citizens.NBC News, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near darkening
Cite this Entry
“Darkening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkening. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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