1
as in frowns
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 obscures
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 taints
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of darkens
Today, as a government shutdown darkens our national museums and the National Endowment for the Humanities is gutted, the danger is no longer a matter of rhetoric but of radical, systemic action.
—
Andrew Weinstein, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
The tree produces an annual fall harvest of walnuts, enclosed in a green husk that darkens when ripe.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
When the sky darkens, her stomach clenches.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
When that last stellar ember cools and darkens, the age of black holes will still be in its early days.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 24 Sep. 2025
Yet this uncertainty comes as the global outlook darkens — both in economic and geopolitical terms.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Blocking the sunlight also darkens his living spaces.
—Roxana Popescu, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2025
As the sky darkens, the wind picks up, and the cries of the seagulls lessen.
—Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
Blocking the sunlight also darkens his living spaces.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Aug. 2025
Andrew Weinstein, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
The tree produces an annual fall harvest of walnuts, enclosed in a green husk that darkens when ripe.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
When the sky darkens, her stomach clenches.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
When that last stellar ember cools and darkens, the age of black holes will still be in its early days.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 24 Sep. 2025
Yet this uncertainty comes as the global outlook darkens — both in economic and geopolitical terms.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Blocking the sunlight also darkens his living spaces.
—Roxana Popescu, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2025
As the sky darkens, the wind picks up, and the cries of the seagulls lessen.
—Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
Blocking the sunlight also darkens his living spaces.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkens
Verb
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Not explained is whether Makary would be happier if drug companies placed ads with immobile patients, frowns, and funereal music.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Ken’yaku, a commitment to frugality, is detectable in a corporate culture that frowns on perks or frills.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Along with being functional, these bowls offer a modern look with an embossed texture surrounding the exterior and gradient color scheme that fades from the smallest bowl to the largest.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
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But once the novelty fades, no one will care how a video was made.—
Victor Riparbelli,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But in a market where definitional confusion obscures risk and competitive tensions drive narratives, distinguishing signal from noise is increasingly critical and difficult.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
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China, by contrast, communicates through political rhetoric that obscures bureaucratic intent.—
Lizzi C. Lee,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The film centered on the Environmental Protection Agency encasing the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield in a dome after Homer taints the area’s water supply.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Rhett Miller stares across the classroom at the 14 sets of eyes staring back and lets his curiosity run free.—
Josh Crutchmer,
Rolling Stone,
9 Oct. 2025
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Lit only by a halo-like light overhead, Wayans stares blankly at the screen, smoking a cigar — and breaking down in mournful tears.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For a garden that blurs the lines between traditional and modern, combine a clean hardscape with aged materials and spilling plants.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Oct. 2025
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Civil liberties groups and university associations have since argued that the order blurs the line between national security vetting and political censorship.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Deadly holiday weekend mars broad crime drop The back-and-forth followed a Labor Day weekend of deadly violence in Chicago worse than in the previous two years, with seven people shot to death, according to preliminary Chicago Police Department reports.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
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Valuing a project at cost of production rather than value in an arm’s length sale—common in all economic statistics—especially mars Chinese data.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Of course, the Tilly Norwood debate rages on in Hollywood.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
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Or to be safe and dry as a storm rages outside?—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Darkens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkens. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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