BLACKENS Synonyms: 154 Similar and Opposite Words

blackens

verb

present tense third-person singular of blacken

as in stains

to make dirty blackened the towels with their dirty hands

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as in libels

to make untrue and harmful statements about the politician maliciously blackened his opponent's reputation

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as in darkens

to make dark, dim, or indistinct thick smoke from the forest fires blackened the sky for many miles

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as in fades

to grow dark the auditorium blackened suddenly, and a spotlighted performer appeared alone on stage

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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 blackens As the salmon blackens in a skillet, the spices awaken, encrusting the fish in peppery piquant. — The Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackens

Verb

The self-tan wipes are easy to apply and contain exfoliating acids that smooth the skin, plus encapsulated DHA (the ingredient that stains the skin) to leave behind a radiant tan.

— Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 13 Aug. 2026
Homemade plum compote stains the filling with a vibrant red ribbon.

— Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of stains

Verb

Darker smears around the crater’s rim contain surface rocks and lunar dust called regolith previously altered by solar winds, micrometeorites, and cosmic radiation over an extended period of time.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026
The atmosphere works on them a little bit harder and reduces their strength and smears them a little bit more.

— Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of smears

Verb

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
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images A total solar eclipse darkens the skies over northeastern Spain, with Corbera dâEbre, in Tarragona, Spain, on August 12, 2026, among the locations along the path of totality.

— Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of darkens

Verb

Rather than blocking the sun entirely, the moon obscures only a portion of it, leaving behind the eclipse's signature crescent shape.

— Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
The timing of the eclipse — and how long the moon fully obscures the sun — will vary by location.

— Raf Sanchez, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of obscures

Verb

The film hinges on a small moment that not only sullies the trip but leads her character to reconsider her understanding of her father.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 July 2026
For all the ways Disney’s move sullies it with creatives in Hollywood, OpenAI’s new partner does the opposite — gives it massive cred in Silicon Valley.

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Dec. 2025

Definition of sullies

Verb

In it, Kennedy maligns germ theory as a tool of pharmaceutical companies, scientists, and doctors to promote the use of modern medicines.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
In its weekly online newsletter, which reaches and inspires jihadists across the globe, the group routinely maligns Shara and the new government and calls for soldiers in the Syrian military to defect.

— Caroline Rose, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025

Definition of maligns

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blackening

blackens

black eye

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“Blackens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackens. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of blackens

verb

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