as in dark
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
a darkening sky that seemed to match our downcast spirits
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in frowning
to take on a gloomy or forbidding look
his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news
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2
as in fading
to grow dark
the sky darkened as a storm moved in
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3
as in obscuring
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
years of accumulated grime have darkened the painting until it can barely be seen
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4
as in marring
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of darkening
Richard Brookhiser, National Review, 19 Dec. 2024
The weather is darkening, the leaves are falling and the zombies are nearing your doorstep.
—Annalise Frank, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
Still, not a lot of it is darkening investors’ psyches these days.
—Larry Light, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
Richard Nixon ran a similar playbook during his own presidential campaign in 1968, which took place amid a darkening war in Vietnam.
—Jeffrey A. Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2024
China’s rapid rearmament and the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are signs that the clouds are darkening.
—Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2024
Thank you for being a beacon of light in a darkening world.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2024
Verb
The flowers and the ferns put themselves to bed, shedding petals, drying and darkening, folding up.
—Richard Brookhiser, National Review, 19 Dec. 2024
The weather is darkening, the leaves are falling and the zombies are nearing your doorstep.
—Annalise Frank, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
Still, not a lot of it is darkening investors’ psyches these days.
—Larry Light, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
Richard Nixon ran a similar playbook during his own presidential campaign in 1968, which took place amid a darkening war in Vietnam.
—Jeffrey A. Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2024
China’s rapid rearmament and the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are signs that the clouds are darkening.
—Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2024
Thank you for being a beacon of light in a darkening world.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkening
Adjective
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The cumulus congestus cloud rises dramatically in the image, casting a dark shadow over the landscape below.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
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Compared to the original cultivars, the newer cultivars offered a variety of advantages, including sturdiness, longer flowering, earlier flowering, dwarfism, bigger bracts, darker green foliage, and beyond.Norman Ellstrand and Nathan Ellstrand / Made by History, TIME, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Smothered in clouds, this House of the Dragon valley provides perfect, obscuring aerial cover for anyone who might happen to be wandering around in the wilderness and stumbles into a dragon that went rogue decades ago.Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2024
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However, the relentless pursuit of RTO may be a costly distraction, obscuring deeper issues such as workforce reductions and the evolving nature of work, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence, that are hindering corporate performance.Timothy Papandreou, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Remember, this was a pretty bleak time for basic cable.Josef Adalian, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
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The reality that the Giants have four more games of this despair is painfully bleak.Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Despite being known as a city that puts smiles on faces and provides a good time to all, the mood in New Orleans has been much more somber the past few days.William Guillory, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
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While Syrians in the capital looked forward to a new beginning after Assad’s ouster, the mood was more somber along Beirut’s Mediterranean promenade, where residents shared cautious hopes for the new year, reflecting on a country still reeling from war and ongoing crises.Ghaith Alsayed, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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As calendar years go, 2024 has been fairly depressing overall for fans of Wolverhampton Wanderers.Steve Madeley, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
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This means understanding when dating feels fun and energizing versus draining and depressing—and acting accordingly.Myisha Battle, TIME, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Not eating breakfast was associated with an alteration of sleep chronotypes and an increase in depressive symptoms which led to worse sleep quality, according to a 2023 study with over 700 college students.Renée Onque, CNBC, 27 Dec. 2024
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While additional clinical trials are needed to understand the efficacy of astaxanthin on depressive symptoms in humans, initial studies in mice have been promising.Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Similarly, brands with in-house marketing capabilities can align production and promotion, lowering acquisition costs and increasing retention.Vincent Gregoire, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
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Our work in the next session must be focused on lowering costs and helping people make ends meet, not more giveaways to the special interests [of the] wealthy.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Salting on sidewalks and driveways can also run off into your lawn and landscape, poisoning your plants.Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 3 Jan. 2025
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Defense lawyers said that speech included a series of improper and prejudicial comments against the defendants and their legal team, poisoning any potential jurors against them.Kate Brumback, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near darkening
Cite this Entry
“Darkening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkening. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
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