1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
with its only light burned out, the closet was pitch-dark
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Recent Examples of pitch-dark
On school days, that meant waking up in pitch-dark and walking to the bus stop with a flashlight.
—
Literary Hub, 25 Feb. 2026
Fittingly, the song’s thumping beat is heard twice, real loud, in Rosebush Pruning, Karim Aїnouz’s high-gloss, pitch-dark satire about an American family described by one of its scions as mediocre, vapid egotists, who will never have to work thanks to a large inheritance.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
In the pitch-dark room, Heath remembers hearing the call to prayer in the morning.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Despite hundreds of Americans being fired or suspended by employers as a result, the pitch-dark humor that permeates our social media ecosystem was not to be suppressed.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Dec. 2025
One of the officers, a special-forces commando who discussed the operation on condition of anonymity, recalls lying in the pitch-dark belly of a river barge alongside dozens of his comrades, all of them armed to the hilt, eyeing one another through night-vision goggles.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
But Byrne was also attuned to the script’s undercurrent of pitch-dark humor.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2025
Berger based his claim on the fossils being found in narrow, pitch-dark chambers, far from natural entrances or evidence of animal activity.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
On a Saturday morning in July, my mom’s silhouette appears in the doorway of my pitch-dark childhood bedroom.
—Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2022
Literary Hub, 25 Feb. 2026
Fittingly, the song’s thumping beat is heard twice, real loud, in Rosebush Pruning, Karim Aїnouz’s high-gloss, pitch-dark satire about an American family described by one of its scions as mediocre, vapid egotists, who will never have to work thanks to a large inheritance.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
In the pitch-dark room, Heath remembers hearing the call to prayer in the morning.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Despite hundreds of Americans being fired or suspended by employers as a result, the pitch-dark humor that permeates our social media ecosystem was not to be suppressed.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Dec. 2025
One of the officers, a special-forces commando who discussed the operation on condition of anonymity, recalls lying in the pitch-dark belly of a river barge alongside dozens of his comrades, all of them armed to the hilt, eyeing one another through night-vision goggles.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
But Byrne was also attuned to the script’s undercurrent of pitch-dark humor.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2025
Berger based his claim on the fossils being found in narrow, pitch-dark chambers, far from natural entrances or evidence of animal activity.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
On a Saturday morning in July, my mom’s silhouette appears in the doorway of my pitch-dark childhood bedroom.
—Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitch-dark
Adjective
-
In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
As scientists often find darkened teeth in ancient burials, other factors can contribute to a black appearance, notably the chewing of betel leaves.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Handout/United Hatzalah Television network Channel 12 showed thick black smoke billowing into the sky from the site.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The bathrooms are spacious and modern, with black tiles and super soft robes.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
On the last night that anybody else reportedly saw Nancy, that camera caught a glimpse of a person clad in dark clothes, wearing gloves and a black balaclava, unidentifiable, standing at the threshold.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Not only did that article form the basis of the film, but Lumet actually took the note and cast Pacino in the role of that dark, thin fellow.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite all this timeliness and pedigree, though, and a cast led by Gen Z superstars Jaeden Martell and Asa Butterfield, this pitch-black, thrillingly toxic comedy only landed at Tribeca Festival last year after being rejected by both Sundance and SXSW.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
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Photos and video show the explorers squeezing through jagged crevices deep inside the karsts, using flashlights to guide them further along an otherwise pitch-black maze of rocky burrows.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
How Georgians will vote in the midterms this year is still murky.—
Caleb Groves,
AJC.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Now, two weeks since the first storm hit, the ocean water is still murky due to runoff that carries harmful pathogens and chemicals from sewage systems, animal feces and industrial facilities.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pitch-dark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitch-dark. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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