1
as in shadows
a time or place of little or no light
strange noises were coming from the wooded umbra beyond our campfire
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shadow
partial darkness due to the obstruction of light rays
during a solar eclipse observers located within the umbra experience a complete blocking of the sun by the moon
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of umbra
What will happen beginning Thursday night is a total lunar eclipse, meaning the entire moon falls within the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, an area known as the umbra.
—
Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2025
The partial eclipse is on as the moon sinks deeper into the umbra.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2025
The moon passes through Earth’s umbra, the darkest part of its shadow, and takes on a reddish hue due to sunlight bending through Earth’s atmosphere.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Totality occurs at 2:26 a.m. when the entire moon is under the umbra.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for umbra
Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2025
The partial eclipse is on as the moon sinks deeper into the umbra.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2025
The moon passes through Earth’s umbra, the darkest part of its shadow, and takes on a reddish hue due to sunlight bending through Earth’s atmosphere.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Totality occurs at 2:26 a.m. when the entire moon is under the umbra.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for umbra
Recent Examples of Synonyms for umbra
Noun
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Chantel Christie-Jeffries, the daughter of Jackie Christie, steps out of her mother’s shadow and into the fire, raising the stakes for a family dynamic already rich with tension.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
3 Apr. 2025
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Musk’s outsize support of Trump was always a political risk, but his decision to come aboard the administration and, at one time, position himself as a kind of shadow president is arguably the biggest bet of his career.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Avoid traveling after dark in Kenya due to crime and poor traffic safety.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
18 Mar. 2025
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Cara Delevingne Cara Delevingne also wore a black aviator jacket, instead pairing it with a white scoop-neck top, wide-leg dark wash jeans and black loafers.—
Hannah Malach,
WWD,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Plants benefit from afternoon shade in warm Southern climates.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2025
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Hope: Ultimately, the protests suggest the possibility that, eventually, an overwhelming majority of Palestinians will never again allow themselves to be ruled by revanchist tyrants of any shade.—
Bret Stephens,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Jack Huston finds the light in the darkness with his role in Konstantin Khudyakov’s upcoming film.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
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This strongly suggests that the sudden total darkness and associated changes in wind and temperature were the primary drivers of the observed behavioral shifts.—
Victoria Corless,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Best Time To See The Full Worm Moon Rise In the wake of the excitement of the total lunar eclipse, don’t overlook the opportunity to view the just-off full moon rise in the east during dusk the following evening.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
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The deck outside the main living space offers jaw-dropping views, the scenery shifting from the golden glow of sunrise to the soft hues of dusk.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Flaunt this fun, floral style, or opt for their best-selling classic black.—
Meg Donohue,
Town & Country,
31 Jan. 2023
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Take your pick from black to mocha to crisp, winter white.—
Taylor Jean Stephan,
Peoplemag,
31 Jan. 2023
Noun
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There is beauty in blackness, this exhibition argues, value in places that lack light.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
24 Mar. 2025
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On a cold January day, the sun sets early and rises late, yielding to a blackness that envelopes the island, a blackness so deep that the light of stars manifests suddenly at dusk and the glow of the moon is bright enough to navigate by.—
Nicholas J. R. White Kat Hill,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
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At 33 years old, most quarterbacks would be considered to be in the twilight of their careers, but Gannon's best football still lay ahead.—
Omaid Homayun,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Makelele arrived at Chelsea in the twilight of his career.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Umbra.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/umbra. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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