as in dark
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
a darkening sky that seemed to match our downcast spirits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in frowning
to take on a gloomy or forbidding look
his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fading
to grow dark
the sky darkened as a storm moved in
Synonyms & Similar Words
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3
as in obscuring
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
years of accumulated grime have darkened the painting until it can barely be seen
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4
as in marring
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of darkening
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
We were captivated by the main character facing a darkening world with youthful joyfulness and optimism.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2025
That care-free spirit, as the film illustrates, hardly existed in a vacuum, emerging in part as a defiant response to darkening times.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 15 Mar. 2025
As the mood of the play becomes more somber (complete with darkening sky, thunder, rain and wailing guitar), its purpose becomes clear.
—Demetrios Matheou, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
But today, with both private equity and venture capital snared in a distribution drought, there might be a silver lining to darkening economic clouds.
—Dan Primack, Axios, 7 Mar. 2025
In rare cases, melanoma can also lead to these changes, usually darkening the hair in the affected area.
—Angela Haupt, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
The goal for both the score and the original songs is to effortlessly guide viewers through the darkening emotional undercurrents of each episode.
—Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 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
We were captivated by the main character facing a darkening world with youthful joyfulness and optimism.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2025
That care-free spirit, as the film illustrates, hardly existed in a vacuum, emerging in part as a defiant response to darkening times.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 15 Mar. 2025
As the mood of the play becomes more somber (complete with darkening sky, thunder, rain and wailing guitar), its purpose becomes clear.
—Demetrios Matheou, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
But today, with both private equity and venture capital snared in a distribution drought, there might be a silver lining to darkening economic clouds.
—Dan Primack, Axios, 7 Mar. 2025
In rare cases, melanoma can also lead to these changes, usually darkening the hair in the affected area.
—Angela Haupt, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
The goal for both the score and the original songs is to effortlessly guide viewers through the darkening emotional undercurrents of each episode.
—Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkening
Adjective
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While the show’s tone is more bright and upbeat than its original sources, the scope of the musical has also been widened to reveal dark complexities in the world of the undocumented.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2025
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Shows this dark need moments of beauty, and this episode provided those in spades.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Adjective
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The observations from Drewry’s and Moody’s, as well as the scenario floated by McCown, follow a bleak outlook for the middle of May out of the biggest port in the U.S.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
25 Apr. 2025
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These economic concerns echo findings from a Federal Reserve survey last week that said Americans’ view of the economy is bleak — and getting worse.—
Shannon Carroll,
Quartz,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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There's an eclectic mix of jazz, big sweeping orchestral pieces, high energy electric guitars, and quiet, somber piano tunes.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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President Donald Trump is set to address the annual White House Easter Egg Roll hours after the death of Pope Francis, making for a somber backdrop for the light-hearted, kid-friendly affair.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This Sunday’s finale marks the end of a bizarre, depressing, and sometimes extremely funny show about a family like none other.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2025
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That’s been really fascinating and depressing and dispiriting to see.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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More precisely, there was a 60 percent reduction in depressive symptoms, with more than half of the participants exhibiting total remission.—
John Semley,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2025
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Alongside other treatments, inositol supplements may help with depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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These photovoltaic panels are designed to generate renewable energy on-site, significantly reducing the building’s environmental impact while also lowering its operational costs.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
14 Mar. 2025
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These photovoltaic panels are designed to generate renewable energy on-site, significantly reducing the building’s environmental impact while also lowering its operational costs.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Their reasoning is that these products are poisoning Americans.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
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An Aurora dentist accused of fatally poisoning his wife in 2023 allegedly tried to pay a fellow jail inmate $20,000 to kill the case's lead investigator, prosecutors said in court Friday.—
Axios Denver,
Axios,
18 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Darkening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkening. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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