1
as in to frown
to take on a gloomy or forbidding look
his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news
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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
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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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of darken
The point is to strip away contaminants (like pesticides or trace metals) as well as other compounds that make the oil prone to going rancid, give it a harsh taste or smell, or darken its color.
—
Erica Sloan, SELF, 13 Jan. 2025
Silver can also stimulate the production of the pigment melanin, causing darkening.
—Ars Technica, 10 Jan. 2025
The details vary depending on your location, but out in the western U.S. and Canada the moon will already be among the Pleiades stars soon after the sun has set and the twilight sky darkens.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025
Within minutes medics had pronounced the boy dead at the scene and noticed abrasions and darkening on his face.
—Noe Padilla, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for darken 
Erica Sloan, SELF, 13 Jan. 2025
Silver can also stimulate the production of the pigment melanin, causing darkening.
—Ars Technica, 10 Jan. 2025
The details vary depending on your location, but out in the western U.S. and Canada the moon will already be among the Pleiades stars soon after the sun has set and the twilight sky darkens.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025
Within minutes medics had pronounced the boy dead at the scene and noticed abrasions and darkening on his face.
—Noe Padilla, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for darken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken
Verb
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These answers all describe an action that might be frowned upon.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025
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Some may frown upon these metaphors, but the reality is that business is, to some extent, a dog-eat-dog competition.—
Zain Jaffer,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Sunlight had begun to fade, casting a shadow on the space.—
Colleen Shalby,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 2025
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Saturn, nearby, will become visible to the naked eye as dusk fades to darkness and remain observable for around three-and-a-half hours past sunset, at which point the pair will sink below the horizon and out of view.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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This lava blankets the valley floor, walls, and much of the surrounding plains, obscuring older geological features and complicating efforts to date and understand the processes that shaped this enigmatic Martian landscape.—
Victoria Corless,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2025
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After its investigators were attacked by protesters later on Saturday, the anti-corruption agency asked media companies to obscure the faces of its members attending the hearing.—
Kim Tong-Hyung,
The Christian Science Monitor,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
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However, 2017 first-round pick Malik Hooker’s time in Indianapolis was marred by a season-ending knee and Achilles injuries leading the team to decline the safety’s fifth-year option.—
James Boyd,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
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Employers stuck the landing in 2024, finishing the year with a bounce of hiring after a summer slowdown and an autumn marred by disruption.—
Lydia DePillis,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The clip ended with Dwayne staring at the camera frowning.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
19 Jan. 2025
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For better or worse, Summers is staring at a largely blank slate.—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Eaton fire, which started after the Palisades blaze in the Altadena area, has blackened more than 14,000 acres, destroyed or damaged 7,000 homes and other structures, and killed 17 people, officials say.—
Paul Pringle,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Jan. 2025
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Hands blackened from picking through the rubble of what was left of his home camp.—
Will Carless,
USA TODAY,
12 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The line between satire and disinformation continues to blur on social media, where the context of a post made in jest can be misunderstood to be a factual news report.—
Peter Suciu,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
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Yet activists pushing to blur these distinctions seem to believe gender ideology trumps fairness and safety.—
Kathy Szeliga,
Baltimore Sun,
12 Jan. 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
Thesaurus Entries Near darken
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darken. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
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