1
as in to stain
to make dirty
blackened the towels with their dirty hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to libel
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the politician maliciously blackened his opponent's reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to darken
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
thick smoke from the forest fires blackened the sky for many miles
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blacken
Her boyfriend had hit her hard enough to blacken her eye.
—
Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025
Currently, according to Applebee's website, menu items include bourbon street chicken and shrimp, hot honey glazed chicken and blackened Cajun salmon.
—Cathy Kozlowicz, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Video of the aftermath showed only debris from the collision and the ground blackened as though from a large explosion or fire.
—David Chiu, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Rodriguez said Swift and Kelce ordered the pan-seared, blackened Mahi-Mahi ($45), served with lobster risotto, julienned vegetables and red pepper sauce.
—Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025
Currently, according to Applebee's website, menu items include bourbon street chicken and shrimp, hot honey glazed chicken and blackened Cajun salmon.
—Cathy Kozlowicz, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Video of the aftermath showed only debris from the collision and the ground blackened as though from a large explosion or fire.
—David Chiu, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Rodriguez said Swift and Kelce ordered the pan-seared, blackened Mahi-Mahi ($45), served with lobster risotto, julienned vegetables and red pepper sauce.
—Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blacken
Verb
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While there’s no secret deodorant conspiracy at play, there is a reason for the difference—certain types of deodorant are more prone to staining than others.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
20 Sep. 2025
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Police said Smirnova’s hospital gown and legs were also stained with blood.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In 2022, Manhattan Federal Judge Jed Rakoff, who presided over both trials, decided The Times was not liable for defamation while jurors were deliberating, that the error amounted to unfortunate editorializing but not libel.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2025
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As a new, inexpensive Chevrolet appeared in 1927 and The Dearborn Independent was sued for libeling a number of Jewish businessmen, Ford threw in the towel and apologized.—
George Pendle,
airmail.news,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Now the mood has darkened as nonprofits recruit lawyers and bolster the security of their offices and staff.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
17 Sep. 2025
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Like any tubing mascara, Badi Lash wraps lashes in flexible, smudge-proof polymers that darken and lengthen them.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As more success suddenly comes his way, McKinstry has remained the same, friendly and chuckling at his locker, dirtying his jersey and pestering opponents on the field.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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Some were prosthetic buttocks, but others were people’s own buttocks, but in various states, like dirtied down and with partial covering.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Mash it up, smear it on toast, toss it in a salad, or eat it straight.—
Claire Bugos,
Verywell Health,
17 Sep. 2025
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Good luck trying not to smear and stain your clothes, sheets, and furniture.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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A smoke screen to obscure an unprecedented consolidation of power and unitarian intimidation and coldly antithetical to any experiment in a constitutional republic governance.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
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The Los Angeles Dodgers earned a win against the rival San Francisco Giants on Thursday, but that was obscured by some breaking news that the team released shortly before the game.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The rules around grand jury secrecy shouldn’t be broken and care must be taken about revealing the identities of victims and besmirching the reputations of people mentioned incidentally in the vast investigative materials.—
The Editors,
National Review,
16 July 2025
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Other attempts to besmirch her also fell short — as in the 2024 election, when former Sen. Randolph Bracy launched an ugly attempt to oust her from the District 15 Senate seat.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
Orlando Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Continually moving the goalposts or using testing to humiliate or control can cause relational harm.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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And Sacks, a PayPal Mafia member and veteran Silicon Valley investor, is just the sort of titan of industry this town routinely devours and humiliates — from Rex Tillerson to, well, Elon Musk.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blacken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blacken. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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