as in libel
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
blackening of the senator's good name disgusted voters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in staining
to make dirty
blackened the towels with their dirty hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smearing
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the politician maliciously blackened his opponent's reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in darkening
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
thick smoke from the forest fires blackened the sky for many miles
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in fading
to grow dark
the auditorium blackened suddenly, and a spotlighted performer appeared alone on stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of blackening
Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2016
Temple leaves the tail shell on the end of the shrimp to protect the tender tip in the blackening process.
—Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2021
Drizzle lime juice over tilapia, season with 1/2 tsp salt, and dip in blackening seasoning.
—Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, 31 Mar. 2020
Like Dorian Gray’s portrait, his face registered the blackening of Walt’s soul.
—Judy Berman, Time, 11 Oct. 2019
He and manager Dave Bristol went at it one day at the yard, with the manager blackening The Count’s eye.
—Gary Peterson, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2019
Fenolio came across an academic journal with a paper about a particular species of frog that had faced similar deaths — a blackening and drying of the skin followed by a quick demise.
—Josh Baugh, ExpressNews.com, 8 July 2019
The floors were free from the blackening caused by fire.
—National Geographic, 26 Mar. 2019
Any blackening or a brown shade on the switch or outlet is cause for concern.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 29 Apr. 2016
Noun
Whole villages were nearly wiped out, and in total, some 60 percent of Europe's population would succumb to the disease, which was characterized by an extreme swelling of the lymph nodes and the gradual blackening of the fingertips and toes as the tissues died.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2016
Temple leaves the tail shell on the end of the shrimp to protect the tender tip in the blackening process.
—Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2021
Drizzle lime juice over tilapia, season with 1/2 tsp salt, and dip in blackening seasoning.
—Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, 31 Mar. 2020
Like Dorian Gray’s portrait, his face registered the blackening of Walt’s soul.
—Judy Berman, Time, 11 Oct. 2019
He and manager Dave Bristol went at it one day at the yard, with the manager blackening The Count’s eye.
—Gary Peterson, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2019
Fenolio came across an academic journal with a paper about a particular species of frog that had faced similar deaths — a blackening and drying of the skin followed by a quick demise.
—Josh Baugh, ExpressNews.com, 8 July 2019
The floors were free from the blackening caused by fire.
—National Geographic, 26 Mar. 2019
Any blackening or a brown shade on the switch or outlet is cause for concern.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 29 Apr. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackening
Noun
-
The lawsuit also accused Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane of civil extortion, but was tossed in early June, along with Baldoni’s $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times, for its coverage of Lively’s claims.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
31 July 2025
-
But tensions escalated when Exeter later shared a private message from Jessica, who allegedly alluded to taking legal action for libel.—
Stephanie Petit,
People.com,
30 July 2025
Verb
-
The mood is darkening on Main Street, too.—
Matt Egan,
CNN,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Colorado's economic outlook is darkening as federal policies cast a shadow over the state's financial future, according to two fresh forecasts from legislative economists and the governor's office.—
Alayna Alvarez,
Axios,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Trump asked a judge to order News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch to testify immediately in his defamation lawsuit over the Wall Street Journal’s reporting on Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, with the president citing the 94-year-old media mogul’s age to justify the request.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
-
Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and claims the letter does not exist.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
28 July 2025
Verb
-
Millions of Americans may have the chance to witness a partial solar eclipse on March 29, when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, temporarily obscuring part of the solar disk.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Mar. 2025
-
That said, the prevailing view of agents remains overly indexed on low-level implementation details, obscuring broader gaps that must be addressed for widespread adoption.—
Egor Pushkin,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Ferrucci, the journalism professor, dismissed both criticisms.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Mayor Karen Bass’ office has also pledged to make moves to reduce red tape for film and TV projects in L.A. amid multiple criticisms about the difficulties and expenses of planning shoots.—
Erik Hayden,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blackening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackening. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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