black 1 of 3

1
as in ebony
having the color of soot or coal we adopted a little black kitten

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
as in brunette
not having a light complexion a black Irishman, Tyrone Power had the classic looks of a Hollywood leading man

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black

2 of 3

noun

black

3 of 3

verb

chiefly British

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 black
Noun
On the first Friday under the lights of the Texas high school football stadium, Aledo fans donning the orange and black and packed the stands to see their Bearcats compete. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2025 Justin, meanwhile, leaned into the moment in a nostalgic, game day fit, wearing a white tank top, red and black Nahmias track pants, a gray and black striped min beanie, and platform Skylrk slipper shoes. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
Colors are rich, blacks look endless, and Dolby Vision makes everything from movie nights to gaming marathons feel more cinematic. PC Magazine, 2 Sep. 2025 The top overlay of her black, Christian Dior gown blew upward, and billowed, appearing inflated and bulbous for about a second, footage of the moment shared by Cinema Blend shows. Bailey Richards, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for black
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black
Adjective
  • Opinel announced the Néo6 in late July and offers it for a price of US$30 with a French walnut handle, $35 with an Italian olive handle, or $70 with an African ebony handle.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Aug. 2025
  • There’s no question these ebony felines are both mysterious and beautiful.
    Tribune News Reports, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Interestingly, Lorraine has taught Judy to ward off her frightening visions by using a nursery rhyme, effectively teaching her to suppress her dark side.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The Dolphins wear white jerseys at home for afternoon games, forcing opponents to wear darker colors that absorb more heat.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Over the weekend, around 16,000 people paid their respects to the designer at his funeral chamber at the Armani Teatro designed by Tadao Ando, filled with white flowers and paper lanterns on the floor in a diagonal grid formation dimly lit up the darkened venue.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
  • In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.
    Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Dec. 2022
Noun
  • But the town’s blackness isn’t just about coal—or, for that matter, about the police abuse Shinhye suffers there.
    Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
  • When D’Silva signaled to turn off the flashlights and thrash our arms around, the blackness transformed into a beautiful cloud of luminous phosphorescence.
    Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Filmmakers for Palestine boycott joins a long line of efforts to boycott businesses with ties to Israel.
    Chloe Veltman, NPR, 9 Sep. 2025
  • In 1972, King threatened to boycott the tournament unless the organizers agreed to pay men and women equally, and her activism was successful.
    Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • It’s set in a small-town community in upstate New York, where the long-gray-haired and bearded Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin) is the contempo version of a fire-and-brimstone cult leader, preaching fury in the form of piety.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
  • But Leticia Gutierrez, a gray-haired Catholic nun, asked them to sit down.
    Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Elements of her can be found on Lioness in Zoe Saldaña’s Joe McNamara, a CIA operative trying to save the world from the swarthy — terrorists in Season One, Mexican cartels in Season Two — while raising two girls.
    Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Jett Rink was a really malevolent varmint, and kind of swarthy and dark.
    Jeff Conway, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Black.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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