1
as in frowns
to take on a gloomy or forbidding look
his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in obscures
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 taints
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 darkens
The radiant point of the Perseids is the constellation Perseus, which, from the Northern Hemisphere, rises in the northeast as the sky darkens during August.
—
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Blocking the sunlight also darkens his living spaces.
—Roxana Popescu, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2025
As the sky darkens, the wind picks up, and the cries of the seagulls lessen.
—Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
Blocking the sunlight also darkens his living spaces.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Aug. 2025
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Blocking the sunlight also darkens his living spaces.
—Roxana Popescu, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2025
As the sky darkens, the wind picks up, and the cries of the seagulls lessen.
—Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
Blocking the sunlight also darkens his living spaces.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkens
Verb
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Ken’yaku, a commitment to frugality, is detectable in a corporate culture that frowns on perks or frills.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
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Byrne has never been better, sharper, or more intimidating as a screen presence, carrying the movie with squints and frowns.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As the afterglow of the midyear continental tournaments fades back into seasonal play in global women’s soccer, there’s been a trend of superlative record-breaking, from the youngest professional goal scorers to the most lucrative transfer fees.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
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If an online trend fades or followers are lost, the name tends to lose steam as well.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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All that cash just obscures the dysfunction Obamacare has let loose in our health insurance market.—
Sally Pipes,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Your readers deserve better than inflammatory rhetoric that obscures real human suffering masquerading as journalism.—
Letters to the Editor,
Oc Register,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gakri turns away and stares into the corner of the car after not getting a treat.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
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In the picture, Duggar holds her son, who wears a gray onesie and stares into the camera.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The use of blockchain effectively blurs these boundaries and merges them into one.—
Ozan Ozerk,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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This hideaway in Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood blurs the lines between highbrow design and youth culture.—
Maya Kachroo-Levine,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Deadly holiday weekend mars broad crime drop The back-and-forth followed a Labor Day weekend of deadly violence in Chicago worse than in the previous two years, with seven people shot to death, according to preliminary Chicago Police Department reports.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
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Valuing a project at cost of production rather than value in an arm’s length sale—common in all economic statistics—especially mars Chinese data.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Fire rages through the Singha Durbar, the main administrative building for the Nepal government, in Kathmandu on September 9, 2025 amid widespread protests.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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As war rages in Europe, the two children navigate danger and secrets that challenge their understanding of family and friendship, reshaping their childhoods forever.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Farmers don’t typically grow pawpaws because the raw fruit spoils easily and is difficult to ship, according to the Kansas State University Extension Office.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
28 Aug. 2025
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This post spoils the entirety of My Life With the Walter Boys Season 2, specifically the finale.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Darkens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkens. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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