the Dark Ages
plural noun
1
: the period of European history from about A.D. 500 to 1000 : the first 500 years of the Middle Ages
2
or the dark ages often humorous
: the period of time before things developed into their modern form
In the dark ages before computers, we often wrote our letters by hand.
Her father's ideas about women are from the Dark Ages.
Examples of the Dark Ages in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Yes, welcome to 2026 — like the Dark Ages, only with better teeth.
—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
The film, headed to theaters today via Lionsgate, is a dramatic horror tale set during the War of the Roses, at the tail end of the Dark Ages.
—
William Earl,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2026
But after about 1,000 years of these games, the competition, along with the word, was lost during the Dark Ages, or the aftermath of the fall of the Roman Empire.
—
Ayana Archie,
NPR,
18 Feb. 2026
Buscemi returned for the next seasons, with new settings of the Dark Ages and the Oregon Trail.
—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
5 June 2025
The first serious attempt was DARE, the Dark Ages Radio Explorer.
—
ArsTechnica,
16 Apr. 2025
But beneath the Dark Ages warrior exterior is an keen grasp of a new type of warfare.
—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
For these children, the Dark Ages had returned, in every sense.
—
Murr Brewster,
Christian Science Monitor,
19 Feb. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Jack Lang,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
The film, headed to theaters today via Lionsgate, is a dramatic horror tale set during the War of the Roses, at the tail end of the Dark Ages.
—
William Earl,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2026
But after about 1,000 years of these games, the competition, along with the word, was lost during the Dark Ages, or the aftermath of the fall of the Roman Empire.
—
Ayana Archie,
NPR,
18 Feb. 2026
Buscemi returned for the next seasons, with new settings of the Dark Ages and the Oregon Trail.
—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
5 June 2025
The first serious attempt was DARE, the Dark Ages Radio Explorer.
—
ArsTechnica,
16 Apr. 2025
But beneath the Dark Ages warrior exterior is an keen grasp of a new type of warfare.
—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
For these children, the Dark Ages had returned, in every sense.
—
Murr Brewster,
Christian Science Monitor,
19 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“The Dark Ages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20Dark%20Ages. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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