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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of darken
There’s also electrochromic film to darken the shades, and full customization with nose pieces, diopter dials, and adjustable temples with lighting effects.
—
Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 19 July 2025
Sánchez’s eyebrows are always darkened to match her hair (like de Ramon), and her cheeks are usually contoured and bronzed, putting her bone structure on full display.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 June 2025
The glasses feature a 12MP stabilized camera, five mics, dual speakers, and electrochromic lenses that darken on demand.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
But just as Covid restrictions were lifted, and people began again to mingle again in public, the general social atmosphere seemed to darken.
—Thomas Cangelosi, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 19 July 2025
Sánchez’s eyebrows are always darkened to match her hair (like de Ramon), and her cheeks are usually contoured and bronzed, putting her bone structure on full display.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 June 2025
The glasses feature a 12MP stabilized camera, five mics, dual speakers, and electrochromic lenses that darken on demand.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
But just as Covid restrictions were lifted, and people began again to mingle again in public, the general social atmosphere seemed to darken.
—Thomas Cangelosi, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken
Verb
-
Because of that history, Mrs. Kirkland frowns upon the Scotts, particularly Peggy’s father Arthur (John Douglas Thompson) who was once enslaved.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
20 July 2025
-
While bringing flowers in a vase will never be frowned upon, showing up sans vase won't be either!—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
The celestial trio will remain close to each other throughout the night, with Saturn and Neptune eventually fading from sight in the southern sky when the sun rises on July 16.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
15 July 2025
-
The brand recommends avoiding dabbing or blotting after applying the spray, as this can cause the fragrance to break down and fade.—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
By the time of totality at 3:20 p.m., dense clouds obscured the view, with an eerie darkness and a golden horizon.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
-
He was either shrouded in haze (the gasps of the fog machine eventually became indistinguishable from the vapor being collectively exhaled by the crowd) or obscured by low-angle backlighting.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
Verb
-
Sure, the game was marred by former commissioner Bud Selig declaring the 2002 edition a tie.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
The production Chosen had early in his career for the New York Jets and then with a 1,000-yard season for the Carolina Panthers in 2020 was marred by two arrests within a year between 2018 and 2019.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
It’s described as a long, blank and expressionless stare in a variety of social situations.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
Vortex Media has all rights in Canada to the film staring Maren Heary (She Said), Jim Kaplan (The Holdovers), Karsen Liotta (Black Bird), Dominic Bogart (Fear The Walking Dead), Emily Hall (Wrong Numbers) and Tenley Kellogg.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
Leaves and buds that are bitten by frost will blacken and shrivel, sometimes all over the plant.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 July 2025
-
Let skins blister and blacken, while turning peppers with tongs, until they’re evenly blackened, about 5 minutes.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
Denver Post,
22 July 2025
Verb
-
Tweaked as recently as 1992, the house deliberately blurs boundaries between interior and exterior, public and private, finished and unfinished.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
-
AirPods blur the line between presence and absence, reducing opportunities for mindfulness.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share