1
as in to frown
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 to obscure
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 to mar
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 darken
If the test line matched or darkened beyond the control line, one was said to be fertile.
—
Anonymous, Vogue, 10 May 2025
As squids brighten and darken their chromatophores, special color-changing cells, the contrast against the white of their bodies offers messages to potential mates.
—Jules Jacobs, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2025
These birds were known for their enormous migratory flocks that could darken the sky for hours, with reports of flocks stretching for miles.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
People have long reported anecdotally that birds stop chirping as the day suddenly darkens.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Anonymous, Vogue, 10 May 2025
As squids brighten and darken their chromatophores, special color-changing cells, the contrast against the white of their bodies offers messages to potential mates.
—Jules Jacobs, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2025
These birds were known for their enormous migratory flocks that could darken the sky for hours, with reports of flocks stretching for miles.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
People have long reported anecdotally that birds stop chirping as the day suddenly darkens.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken
Verb
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Doctors stare at X-ray transparencies and frown, just a little.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
13 May 2025
-
His stat sheet — 7 of 22 from the floor for 18 points in the Thunder’s Game 3 loss — frowned.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
10 May 2025
Verb
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However, the glamour faded soon after the team docked in Manhattan.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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That faded, and Maresca’s task will be maintaining the charge next season.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Verb
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Elite’s arrangement with Prime, as a private corporation, obscures details of how millions of its public school dollars are ultimately spent.—
Kristen Taketa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 May 2025
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The simple stories of great inventors obscure the fact that technological innovations often have many parents.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
18 May 2025
Verb
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However, relatively decent growth fueled by Putin's record military spending has been marred by inflation and a worker shortage impacted by those fleeing the draft and troop losses in Ukraine as experts warn of longer terms problems for the economy.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
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Albania, which has started full membership negotiations with the European Union, has been plagued in its post-communist era with corruption that has marred its democratic, economic and social development.—
Llazar Semini,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Things began to get chippy in the bottom half of the fifth after OSU’s Trent Caraway stared Sloan down after drawing a two-out walk.—
Alyssa Cooper,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 May 2025
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Meanwhile, Cauley was staring at a long road to recovery.—
Kendall Capps,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
Verb
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Some of the jewel beetle wings had their original green-yellow-red hues while others had blackened.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
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If a vigorous plant begins to blacken at the top or whole branches are dying back, this is a sign that something is wrong.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
10 May 2025
Verb
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Contemplating the issue from a more macro standpoint, AI is increasingly blurring the lines around what constitutes academic honesty.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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Anyone moving from a smartphone up to the EOS 2000D will be amazed by the image quality and the ability to produce shots with beautiful bokeh (background blur).—
Rowena Cockett,
Space.com,
26 May 2025
Verb
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Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.—
Jack Fitzgerald,
Car and Driver,
13 Feb. 2023
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Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.—
Monica Mark,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darken. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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