1
as in to stain
to make dirty
blackened the towels with their dirty hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to libel
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the politician maliciously blackened his opponent's reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to darken
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
thick smoke from the forest fires blackened the sky for many miles
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blacken
The benches are blackened with age, strewn with tools.
—
Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
Juicy, whole lobster served grilled or blackened is best, though the menu at this famous haunt features every possible iteration of the dish.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
My father’s thumb was huge and blackened.
—Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
The Israeli strikes on oil facilities sparked massive pillars of fire and blackened the skies above Tehran.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
Juicy, whole lobster served grilled or blackened is best, though the menu at this famous haunt features every possible iteration of the dish.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
My father’s thumb was huge and blackened.
—Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
The Israeli strikes on oil facilities sparked massive pillars of fire and blackened the skies above Tehran.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blacken
Verb
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On TikTok, short videos often show people traveling to Turkey to fix their uneven or stained teeth and transform their smiles.—
K.H. Koehler,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Customize it by painting the wood a fun color or staining it for a rustic look.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In 2022, Manhattan Federal Judge Jed Rakoff, who presided over both trials, decided The Times was not liable for defamation while jurors were deliberating, that the error amounted to unfortunate editorializing but not libel.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2025
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As a new, inexpensive Chevrolet appeared in 1927 and The Dearborn Independent was sued for libeling a number of Jewish businessmen, Ford threw in the towel and apologized.—
George Pendle,
airmail.news,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Note that unpeeled bananas will darken in color and may become mushy, but the fruit inside will still be perfectly fine to use.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
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Skies darkened around the same time over Lake Norman, with a light rain in Mooresville and a slight pickup in winds.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades similar to Bessette-Kennedy’s, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
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With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Later on, Firecracker was tasked with addressing her church's destruction on television and smeared their reputation, betraying her former life and beliefs.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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To be sure, much of the criticism originated from a local blog that was simply looking to smear Tubbs with exaggerated claims.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But what exactly happens to these baby stars next isn't always clear (literally) because they are buried deep within clouds of dark, dusty gas that obscure them.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
All of that mythology, though, can obscure the real story.—
Jimmy Jellinek,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And thus one of the more wholesome and fun events in the White House calendar was besmirched by a man who simply cannot stop with the zero-sum partisan nonsense even when surrounded by impressionable young faces.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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Imagine having the gall to besmirch the name of a young mother killed for trying to speak up for her neighbors or of an ICU nurse shot in the back for trying to tend to a woman who had been pepper-sprayed in the face.—
Sasha Abramsky,
Washington Post,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One such accusation resulted in a federal lawsuit filed in September in which the former head of the Colorado Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind alleged DHS management humiliated and discriminated against him before forcing him out of his job.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
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According to the suit, she was humiliated by fellow staff members and belittled due to her race, country of origin, religion and immigration status.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blacken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blacken. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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