How to Use obsidian in a Sentence

obsidian

noun
  • If that’s you, some stones, like obsidian, make light worry stones.
    — Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2025
  • The tall flow of black obsidian is in stark contrast to the blue lakes and lush green forest that surrounds it.
    — OregonLive.com, 22 Oct. 2017
  • None was asked to address the ocean of obsidian surrounding them.
    — Michele Parente, sandiegouniontribune.com, 7 Jan. 2018
  • Green obsidian was favored by the Aztecs.
    — Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
  • His efforts have already turned up ancient pottery shards and chunks of obsidian.
    — Sarah Medford, WSJ, 15 Jan. 2020
  • Forget about a polite sear; the beef comes out shining like polished obsidian.
    — Nick Kindelsperger, chicagotribune.com, 18 Sep. 2019
  • Just pray that no one is carrying around obsidian on Halloween night.
    — Rosemary Donahue, Allure, 2 Sep. 2017
  • Her mother left her with an Aztec necklace made of obsidian that priests used to conjur visions.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Blades chipped from cryptocrystalline, rocks such as chert and obsidian, are extremely sharp.
    — Keith McCafferty, Field & Stream, 24 Apr. 2020
  • Half of the ballroom gleamed ivory, silver and gray while the other half was a exquisite nightmare in ebony, obsidian and onyx.
    — Amber Elliott, Houston Chronicle, 19 Feb. 2018
  • Early humans sourced black obsidian for projectile points from at least 50 miles away.
    — Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Oct. 2020
  • The grains of purple cornmeal are larger than those of the wheat flours and are intermixed with white‑blue pebbles and chunks of broken obsidian.
    — Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Blegen is not yet convinced that the obsidian at Olorgesailie is evidence of trade networks.
    — Michael Price, Science | AAAS, 21 Oct. 2020
  • In ancient Mexico, powdered obsidian was mixed with quartz and sprinkled in someone’s eyes to treat cataracts.
    — Jim Robbins, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2023
  • Afterwards, the early humans living in the area traded for sharp, strong obsidian and made delicate tools and spear heads.
    — NBC News, 15 Mar. 2018
  • The analysis showed that all four were made using Mexican obsidian.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN, 6 Oct. 2021
  • The history of local mining—for obsidian, iron, copper, silver, coal—also goes back thousands of years.
    — Kyre Chenven, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2018
  • The flow was the final stage of a bigger eruption, formed as magma containing little gas made its way to the surface and cooled, creating obsidian.
    — OregonLive.com, 22 Oct. 2017
  • Scattered across the building’s floor was a varied collection of objects, from large piles of raw flint and obsidian from Turkey to finished blades.
    — Andrew Lawler, Discover Magazine, 19 Mar. 2010
  • About three-fourths the obsidian at Hopewell has been traced back to Obsidian Cliff using the X-ray tech.
    — Jim Robbins, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2023
  • The screen diffuses but also expands some reflections across a broader area, raising its backdrop from glossy obsidian to lighter charcoal.
    — Ryan Waniata, WIRED, 24 May 2024
  • Mount Lai's Best of Beauty-winning gua shas are offered in jade (pictured above), rose quartz, amethyst, black obsidian, and stainless steel.
    — Annie Blackman, Allure, 3 Apr. 2025
  • The prized obsidian came from the Hasan Daği volcano, some 80 miles away or the Cappadocia region farther to the east.
    — National Geographic, 26 Mar. 2019
  • Known as obsidian in the real world, dragonglass kills white walkers and also creates them if stabbed into a human heart by the Children of the Forest.
    — Chris Barton, latimes.com, 15 July 2017
  • The significance of dragonglass (obsidian) this season, along with Gendry's skill as a smith highlights the importance of Davos' fake name for him.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 15 Aug. 2017
  • The Pixel 9 is available in four colors, peony, wintergreen, porcelain and obsidian.
    — David Phelan, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Early in the Aztecs’ history, obsidian for ritual and everyday objects came from limited sources.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
  • The top layer is lined with gold flakes and various crystals—including black obsidian, pyrite, citrine, and tiger’s eye—that are all associated with good fortune and protection.
    — L. Daniela Alvarez, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023
  • The group of items appears to have been deposited as part of a burial and includes a copper mirror, alabaster vessels that still contain traces of their original contents, and a vessel carved from black obsidian.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 1 June 2026
  • Archaeologists uncovered two alabaster kohl containers with traces of ancient eye makeup and a third kohl container crafted from black obsidian.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'obsidian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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