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
The clouds are still in sunlight while the ground is darkening after the Sun sets.
—
Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 12 Feb. 2025
The ice sheet has thinned and darkened since the early 1990’s, especially around its edges….
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 10 Feb. 2025
Sandstorms whip up hazardous lightning storms that darken the skies and rain electrical mayhem onto the dunes.
—Gabriel Zamora, PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2025
However, the success of what many Latinos consider a 21st-century minstrel show (complete with a European protagonist’s fair complexion conspicuously darkened to play Mexican) lies not in artistic license but a kind of cinematic arbitrage.
—Giancarlo Sopo, IndieWire, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 12 Feb. 2025
The ice sheet has thinned and darkened since the early 1990’s, especially around its edges….
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 10 Feb. 2025
Sandstorms whip up hazardous lightning storms that darken the skies and rain electrical mayhem onto the dunes.
—Gabriel Zamora, PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2025
However, the success of what many Latinos consider a 21st-century minstrel show (complete with a European protagonist’s fair complexion conspicuously darkened to play Mexican) lies not in artistic license but a kind of cinematic arbitrage.
—Giancarlo Sopo, IndieWire, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken
Verb
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Uruguay is a place that shuns extremes — where abrasive politics is frowned upon.—
Jay Nordlinger,
National Review,
25 Feb. 2025
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Leeper was part of the DJ crowd that attracted Black and white teens because the station played R&B and rock n’ roll, which many grown-ups frowned upon at the time.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The second week My usual redness around my cheeks had started to fade, and the annoying pimple that had been brewing on my cheek seemed to back off without its usual dramatic entrance.—
Larry Stansbury,
Essence,
7 Mar. 2025
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The blockbuster set, which is still the bestselling project in history, refuses to fade away, consistently finding a home on multiple Billboard charts.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Another emerald eye was almost obscured behind a thick clump of needles.—
Frank C. Hibben,
Outdoor Life,
27 Feb. 2025
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The exhibition also reflects how techno caught on internationally so rapidly that its origins in the Motor City have been obscured for some by a narrative of the genre as a white trend born in Europe.—
Annalise Frank,
Axios,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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His final season was marred by a shoulder injury and insufficient QB play, but Loveland still led the Wolverines in receptions (56), receiving yards (582) and receiving TDs (five).—
Eddie Brown,
The Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2025
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The election took place seven months earlier than originally planned after Scholz’s unpopular coalition collapsed in November, three years into a term that was increasingly marred by infighting.—
Vanessa Gera,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Just over a year ago its Marvel Studios division was staring into an abyss.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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In the clip, the blonde dachshund stares at his bowl of dry food, clearly unimpressed.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The goal is for the top to become blackened while the center remains jiggly.—
Lily Moayeri,
SPIN,
13 Feb. 2025
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By the end of January, the Palisades and Eaton fires had collectively burned more than 37,000 acres of land, blackened more than 1,500 structures, and claimed 29 lives, according to the New York Times.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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This Maserati aims to blur the lines between track and street, and the scenery along with it.—
Lawrence Ulrich,
Robb Report,
4 Mar. 2025
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But this divide is fading as the lines between the two continue to blur.—
Amit Ashkenazi,
Forbes,
3 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 12 Mar. 2025.
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