1
as in to stain
to make dirty
blackened the towels with their dirty hands
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to libel
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the politician maliciously blackened his opponent's reputation
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blacken
The doors were all blackened down.
—
Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
Fish and shrimp tacos can be grilled, blackened, or fried.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 6 Dec. 2025
During a Senate Finance Committee hearing in Juneau this spring, Morrison presented lawmakers with a giant light bulb, blackened by a short in the electrical wiring in the school's gymnasium ceiling.
—Emily Schwing, NPR, 17 Nov. 2025
The walls appear blackened with smoke and heat marks, and the glass of the windows smashed.
—Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blacken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blacken
Verb
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This mixture attacks stains a bit stronger than the water solution.—
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While new doors can cost anywhere from several hundred to thousands of dollars, staining, painting, and weather stripping can be done for under $150, according to O'Reilly.—
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.—
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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.—
Verb
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Legal challenges looming The financial outlook could darken further depending on the judicial branch.—
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This higher temperature darkens the paste, slightly caramelizes the sugar, and deactivates enzymes that would otherwise break down pectin, resulting in a thicker, more cooked-tasting product.—
Verb
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Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.—
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Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.—
Verb
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Hadid appears beat up with a gash on her arm, dirt on her face, and smeared black eye makeup.—
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That would hardly seem out of place, especially given that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem smeared Good as a domestic terrorist.—
Verb
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This International Dark Sky Park, located in southwest Texas, is about a six-hour drive from San Antonio, the nearest city, so there won't be much light pollution obscuring your views of the constellations.—
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Medical issues and money woes can create a fog of anxiety that obscures the path forward.—
Verb
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The eggs were fluffy, lacking any of the rubbery slop that besmirches lesser breakfast burritos.—
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This cynicism inevitably besmirches players, coaches, and referees who have no ties to gambling.—
Verb
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And videotaping it to humiliate them.—
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She had never been arrested before and felt humiliated when her mugshot was plastered all over the news after her arrest.—
Cite this Entry
“Blacken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blacken. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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