DARKENS Synonyms: 132 Similar and Opposite Words

darkens

verb

present tense third-person singular of darken

as in frowns

to take on a gloomy or forbidding look his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news

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as in fades

to grow dark the sky darkened as a storm moved in

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in obscures

to make dark, dim, or indistinct years of accumulated grime have darkened the painting until it can barely be seen

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as in taints

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of darkens But whether in Frankfurt or, later, Weimar — where Soviet officials are as keen to canonize Thomas — this father and daughter aren’t simply driving through Germany but taking a tour across fascism’s long shadow, which still darkens the world. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Instead, the surrounding sky darkens, increasing the contrast until the pale daytime moon seems to switch on at dusk and grow increasingly brilliant. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Cook until the sauce darkens and thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes. — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Pour in the tomato puree, mix gently, partially cover, and cook until the puree darkens and thickens and has mostly been absorbed by the rice, about 3 minutes. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026 Some woods are very photosensitive, like cherry and walnut, but cherry darkens with sun exposure while walnut fades. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2026 When a treatment starts, the room darkens, and chromatherapy lights cast soft purple, blue, and red hues across the room as a soft mist showers down from the ceiling. — Jen Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2026 The planet becomes easier to identify as the sky darkens, making the best time for viewing during the late-night and early-morning hours. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026 Young agent Nina is recuperating in Corfu after a botched mission in the Balkans, but the idyllic landscape darkens when an agent is murdered. — Monitor Reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkens

Verb

Don’t Kill Reach with External Links Like any business that makes money from advertising, LinkedIn frowns upon directing people away from LinkedIn to another site.

— William Arruda, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Here is our review of a 2025-26 campaign that’s ended with more smiles than frowns.

— Carl Anka, New York Times, 26 May 2026

Definition of frowns

Verb

Additionally, the metaphor of the kill switch also obscures the human decisions involved in the responsibility and oversight of an out-of-control model.

— Trent Wintermeier, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026
While the planets in our solar system are still visible, sky glow obscures more distant objects, such as fainter stars.

— Chris McMullen, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of obscures

Verb

Four families living near Meta’s Newton County data center are suing the tech giant, claiming the massive facility taints their drinking water and disrupts their daily lives.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 2 Sep. 2026
That’s been an idiotic trope for too long — that participating in the business side of it taints you.

— Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026

Definition of taints

Verb

There’s also an anti-leakage mode that lowers volume and shifts the EQ automatically to reduce how much sound slips out of your ears.

— Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
This reform significantly lowers the regulatory burden on industries and landowners all while reducing the scope of federal protections for vulnerable wildlife.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of lowers

Verb

Having first revealed her AMD diagnosis in 2012, which is a disease that blurs a person’s central vision by causing damage to the macula, Dench has discussed her potential retirement in recent years.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
And again, that just blurs the lines between what things are supposed to be.

— Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of blurs

Verb

Especially the guy who bangs a wrecking ball against the historic East Wing to make room for an incongruous ballroom monstrosity, who mars the sacred Oval Office with gold glitter and paves over the lovely Rose Garden.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Jacob Whitehead Homophobic chant mars Mexico’s win Before the World Cup, the Mexican football federation launched a campaign that featured the heroes of the country’s 1986 World Cup side.

— Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 June 2026

Definition of mars

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darkening

darkens

dark horse

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“Darkens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkens. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of darkens

verb

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