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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in obscuring
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 marring
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of darkening
Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
This linen-blend pinch pleated option is light-filtering—in other words, not as dense as room-darkening curtains or blackout designs—and available in 38 colors, with curtain rings and rods sold separately.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2026
Two things persuaded Haagy to shelve his own plant research and zero in on the mystery of sky-darkening smog.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Oh, and the grief was almost a person of its own, darkening the minds of some of the characters as much as any lightless corridor could darken a space.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Sweep sidewalks regularly to keep dirt and debris from building up and darkening the color.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
The lens darkening is a boon, though, as turning on the tint makes the image really pop against the dark background.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
Smoke from the fire could be seen from miles away, darkening the sky.
—CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Hope is a dimming ember lighting our ever-darkening path.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
The image below shows the SLS freeing itself of Earth, hauling the Artemis 2 mission to the darkening skies above Florida.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
This linen-blend pinch pleated option is light-filtering—in other words, not as dense as room-darkening curtains or blackout designs—and available in 38 colors, with curtain rings and rods sold separately.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2026
Two things persuaded Haagy to shelve his own plant research and zero in on the mystery of sky-darkening smog.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Oh, and the grief was almost a person of its own, darkening the minds of some of the characters as much as any lightless corridor could darken a space.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Sweep sidewalks regularly to keep dirt and debris from building up and darkening the color.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
The lens darkening is a boon, though, as turning on the tint makes the image really pop against the dark background.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
Smoke from the fire could be seen from miles away, darkening the sky.
—CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Hope is a dimming ember lighting our ever-darkening path.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkening
Adjective
-
On the last night that anybody else reportedly saw Nancy, that camera caught a glimpse of a person clad in dark clothes, wearing gloves and a black balaclava, unidentifiable, standing at the threshold.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Not only did that article form the basis of the film, but Lumet actually took the note and cast Pacino in the role of that dark, thin fellow.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hubbard posted an image of herself with a disgusted look on her face from earlier in Season 10, while Dillard shared a photo of himself frowning, also from a scene in the show.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Subscribers and consumer advocates may be frowning on Netflix’s latest price hikes, but Wall Street is celebrating the move.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hamlin led 292 of the first 317 laps, but a caution for debris on the racetrack with 89 laps to go came out at the perfect time for Elliott, who was fading rapidly on older tires.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Blooper reels, once common in comedy films, are fading from cinema partly due to the rise of dramatic post-credit epilogues and the shift from DVDs to streaming platforms, experts say.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The rise of high-frequency trading convinced us that everything is priced in instantly, obscuring pockets of friction.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Sheets appear to be covering the front cockpit window, obscuring what would normally be the pilots’ forward view.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ancient lava fields can be seen as dark lunar maria marring the silvery lunar surface, which themselves are threaded with bright streaks of reflective debris strewn across the surface by violent asteroid strikes.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The demoralizing graffiti marring the main entrance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 360 Lenox Ave.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But the state education department questioned this week whether the picture is as bleak as Superintendent Andrae Townsel’s administration has described.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Amid the chaos under Yeltsin, a bleak frontier culture took hold.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Joan and Lynn were staring at Louise with entirely blank expressions.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Our first glimpse of her, before this road trip, was staring blankly, maybe suicidally, into a river.—
Jake Coyle,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And Hanceville’s fate is as murky as the fog that pours in at night, blotting out buildings and blackening the road ahead.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
These tungsten atoms would then condense on the slightly cooler inside of the glass bulb, blackening it and dimming the light over time.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Darkening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkening. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
