darkened; darkening
ˈdär-kə-niŋ 
1
: to grow dark : become obscured
the skies were darkening
2
: to become gloomy
his mood darkened
1
: to make dark
2
: to make less clear : obscure
the financial crisis darkened the future of the company
4
: to cast a gloom over
5
: to make of darker color
Examples of darken in a Sentence
The sky darkened and it started to rain.
Her face darkens to a deep red when she gets angry.
The wood will darken as it ages.
The bad news darkened his mood.
The last days of her life were darkened by illness.
His mood darkened after he heard the bad news.
Recent Examples on the Web
Or, perhaps most dramatically, one such clustering happened some 66 million years ago when an asteroid collided with Earth, darkening the skies and likely wiping out the dinosaurs - and over half of all plant species.
—
Ari Daniel, NPR, 19 May 2026
But as soon as the Lumière Theatre darkened and the movie began to play, Driver slipped out of his seat.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 19 May 2026
Refrigerating ripe bananas can slow further ripening for several days, though the peels may darken quickly.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 18 May 2026
Pass the flame over the weed until the foliage darkens.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for darken
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Ari Daniel, NPR, 19 May 2026
But as soon as the Lumière Theatre darkened and the movie began to play, Driver slipped out of his seat.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 19 May 2026
Refrigerating ripe bananas can slow further ripening for several days, though the peels may darken quickly.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 18 May 2026
Pass the flame over the weed until the foliage darkens.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for darken
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darken. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
darken
verb
dark·en
ˈdär-kən
darkened; darkening
ˈdärk-(ə-)niŋ
1
: to make or grow dark or darker
the sky darkened
2
: to make or become gloomy or forbidding
her face darkened in anger
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