as in dark
a time or place of little or no light
lurking in the shadows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in chases
to go after or on the track of
shadowing the suspect to see what he was up to
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blurs
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
thickening clouds shadowed the countryside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of shadows
Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Afternoon light sweeps across the terrace, casting long shadows along arches and curved walls.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2026
Ben McAdoo’s role One of the few holdovers from Jerod Mayo’s staff to the Vrabel era, Ben McAdoo mostly worked in the shadows this season.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
For some time, Drake lived in his brothers’ shadows, especially after Luke won the Tar Heels that NCAA Tournament game.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
Cool, clear mornings give way to afternoons shaped by the low winter arc of the sun, painting the mountains in long shadows and the sky in improbable color.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Now operating from the shadows in Colombia, Roper has been operating a massive arms-smuggling ring with the goal of rebuilding his empire and bankrolling a private guerrilla army to topple the local government.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
A day of poring over records, however, gave up nothing more than hints and shadows.
—Eugene Robinson, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
Add Giannis Antetokounmpo, and then having a group of hard-working, persistent, industrious players that succeed in the shadows is fine.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
Anna Zacharias, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
Through it all, Kate and William balanced expanding royal duties with school runs and family life, even as illness still shadows the monarchy.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
However, Quinyon Mitchell has taken a step up this season and shadows the NFL’s best receiver.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
If Gonzalez shadows Panthers rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina’s leading receiver, their battle could swing critical moments and perhaps the game.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
The movie’s ensemble also includes Alicia Vikander, Jeffrey Wright, and Tom Sturridge, but this is said to be Dano’s show, with Law’s Putin a malevolent presence who shadows his every move.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
But hey, this was the '90s, when being weird for weird's sake was a thing, and a creepy animatronic penguin lurking in the shadows and terrorizing humans in a variety of '90s-ish noir settings is definitely that.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Afternoon light sweeps across the terrace, casting long shadows along arches and curved walls.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2026
Ben McAdoo’s role One of the few holdovers from Jerod Mayo’s staff to the Vrabel era, Ben McAdoo mostly worked in the shadows this season.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
For some time, Drake lived in his brothers’ shadows, especially after Luke won the Tar Heels that NCAA Tournament game.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
Cool, clear mornings give way to afternoons shaped by the low winter arc of the sun, painting the mountains in long shadows and the sky in improbable color.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Now operating from the shadows in Colombia, Roper has been operating a massive arms-smuggling ring with the goal of rebuilding his empire and bankrolling a private guerrilla army to topple the local government.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
A day of poring over records, however, gave up nothing more than hints and shadows.
—Eugene Robinson, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
Add Giannis Antetokounmpo, and then having a group of hard-working, persistent, industrious players that succeed in the shadows is fine.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
In the early morning, shadows pool deep in the gorge, while the upper rims catch the sun, glowing pale gold.
—Anna Zacharias, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Jan. 2026
Through it all, Kate and William balanced expanding royal duties with school runs and family life, even as illness still shadows the monarchy.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025
However, Quinyon Mitchell has taken a step up this season and shadows the NFL’s best receiver.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
If Gonzalez shadows Panthers rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina’s leading receiver, their battle could swing critical moments and perhaps the game.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
The movie’s ensemble also includes Alicia Vikander, Jeffrey Wright, and Tom Sturridge, but this is said to be Dano’s show, with Law’s Putin a malevolent presence who shadows his every move.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shadows
Noun
-
Puerto Rico is an adventure paradise, complete with glow-in-the-dark bays to paddle and one of the largest cave systems in the world to explore.—
Kathleen Rellihan,
Outside,
10 Feb. 2026
-
That might come off as a little dark.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The new owner is Gary (Justin Kirk), who chases off anyone who comes around.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Next to Pika Pika Paradise is a colorful birthday cake filled with Alcremie, and a Kangaskhan and Dragonite battle as a Fidough chases Eevees nearby.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
At times, the distinction between mood and physical description blurs.—
Jasmine Vojdani,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
-
As Nick and Jacki’s conversations deepen, the line between witness and participant blurs, forcing both to confront what justice demands, what belief requires, and the perilous distance between true freedom and the illusion of self-determination.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The skin tone shades work as a complexion product or a powder, while the universal shades can be used to prep the skin.—
Essence Wiley,
InStyle,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Tall grass also shades weed seedlings, preventing them from expanding and overtaking desirable grass plants, better than short turf.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel already established a Gothic world in which the trauma is as loud as the wind on the moors, and Emerald Fennell’s adaptation excises major portions of the book to streamline that atmospheric darkness and ultimate tragedy.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Light lives in darkness just as darkness lives in light.—
Alex Suskind,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Operators issue commands that prompt the pigeon to turn left or right, while the GPS tracks the pigeon’s position in real time, similar to how a standard aerial drone is guided.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Unlike ChatGPT or other publicly available AI platforms, Max provides private control for the dealership using the tool and tracks every interaction.—
Olivia Evans,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Unlike body composition metrics, BMI obscures the true extent of metabolic dysfunction and cannot distinguish between muscle and fat — or between superficial fat and the visceral fat that drives diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions.—
Bret Scher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
-
But that producing résumé obscures the kind of movie Ratner himself tends to make.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But the slow drip of revelations has reinforced a perception that power protects itself and that ordinary citizens live under a different standard.—
Kaitlyn Buss,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The texture-smoothing formula also includes cupuaçu butter—another moisture-locking workhorse—as well as caffeine, which helps boost collagen production, reduces puffiness, and protects skin from environmental damage.—
Alyssa Morin,
InStyle,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shadows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shadows. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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