as in libel
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
blackening of the senator's good name disgusted voters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in staining
to make dirty
blackened the towels with their dirty hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smearing
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the politician maliciously blackened his opponent's reputation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in darkening
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
thick smoke from the forest fires blackened the sky for many miles
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in fading
to grow dark
the auditorium blackened suddenly, and a spotlighted performer appeared alone on stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of blackening
Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2016
Temple leaves the tail shell on the end of the shrimp to protect the tender tip in the blackening process.
—Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2021
Drizzle lime juice over tilapia, season with 1/2 tsp salt, and dip in blackening seasoning.
—Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, 31 Mar. 2020
Like Dorian Gray’s portrait, his face registered the blackening of Walt’s soul.
—Judy Berman, Time, 11 Oct. 2019
He and manager Dave Bristol went at it one day at the yard, with the manager blackening The Count’s eye.
—Gary Peterson, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2019
Fenolio came across an academic journal with a paper about a particular species of frog that had faced similar deaths — a blackening and drying of the skin followed by a quick demise.
—Josh Baugh, ExpressNews.com, 8 July 2019
The floors were free from the blackening caused by fire.
—National Geographic, 26 Mar. 2019
Any blackening or a brown shade on the switch or outlet is cause for concern.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 29 Apr. 2016
Noun
Whole villages were nearly wiped out, and in total, some 60 percent of Europe's population would succumb to the disease, which was characterized by an extreme swelling of the lymph nodes and the gradual blackening of the fingertips and toes as the tissues died.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2016
Temple leaves the tail shell on the end of the shrimp to protect the tender tip in the blackening process.
—Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2021
Drizzle lime juice over tilapia, season with 1/2 tsp salt, and dip in blackening seasoning.
—Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, 31 Mar. 2020
Like Dorian Gray’s portrait, his face registered the blackening of Walt’s soul.
—Judy Berman, Time, 11 Oct. 2019
He and manager Dave Bristol went at it one day at the yard, with the manager blackening The Count’s eye.
—Gary Peterson, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2019
Fenolio came across an academic journal with a paper about a particular species of frog that had faced similar deaths — a blackening and drying of the skin followed by a quick demise.
—Josh Baugh, ExpressNews.com, 8 July 2019
The floors were free from the blackening caused by fire.
—National Geographic, 26 Mar. 2019
Any blackening or a brown shade on the switch or outlet is cause for concern.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 29 Apr. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackening
Noun
-
On New Year’s Eve, Baldoni and nine other plaintiffs, including crisis publicist Melissa Nathan and Abel sued the New York Times for $250 million for libel.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Lively also advances procedural arguments to dismiss the defamation claims, including that Baldoni brought his lawsuit past the one year window to sue for libel.—
Winston Cho,
The Hollywood Reporter,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The flowers and the ferns put themselves to bed, shedding petals, drying and darkening, folding up.—
Richard Brookhiser,
National Review,
19 Dec. 2024
-
The weather is darkening, the leaves are falling and the zombies are nearing your doorstep.—
Annalise Frank,
Axios,
21 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Newsmax was motivated to raise money through an IPO partly due to the defamation lawsuits against the channel stemming from the 2020 election.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2025
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In August 2023, Schaffer sued the organization and Smith, individually, claiming he was owed tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid legal fees and accusing the new board of defamation.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Smothered in clouds, this House of the Dragon valley provides perfect, obscuring aerial cover for anyone who might happen to be wandering around in the wilderness and stumbles into a dragon that went rogue decades ago.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
30 Dec. 2024
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However, the relentless pursuit of RTO may be a costly distraction, obscuring deeper issues such as workforce reductions and the evolving nature of work, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence, that are hindering corporate performance.—
Timothy Papandreou,
Forbes,
27 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The emotional stories linked with characters portrayed as cold-blooded killers trained by terrorists have left the film amid wide criticism over its intentions.—
Sweta Kaushal,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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The move has drawn criticism from library advocates and Democrats in Congress, who argue that the IMLS plays a vital role in supporting libraries, particularly in rural and underserved communities.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blackening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackening. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
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