as in libel
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
blackening of the senator's good name disgusted voters
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in staining
to make dirty
blackened the towels with their dirty hands
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smearing
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the politician maliciously blackened his opponent's reputation
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3
as in darkening
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
thick smoke from the forest fires blackened the sky for many miles
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4
as in fading
to grow dark
the auditorium blackened suddenly, and a spotlighted performer appeared alone on stage
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of blackening
Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2016
Temple leaves the tail shell on the end of the shrimp to protect the tender tip in the blackening process.
—Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2021
Drizzle lime juice over tilapia, season with 1/2 tsp salt, and dip in blackening seasoning.
—Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, 31 Mar. 2020
Like Dorian Gray’s portrait, his face registered the blackening of Walt’s soul.
—Judy Berman, Time, 11 Oct. 2019
He and manager Dave Bristol went at it one day at the yard, with the manager blackening The Count’s eye.
—Gary Peterson, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2019
Fenolio came across an academic journal with a paper about a particular species of frog that had faced similar deaths — a blackening and drying of the skin followed by a quick demise.
—Josh Baugh, ExpressNews.com, 8 July 2019
The floors were free from the blackening caused by fire.
—National Geographic, 26 Mar. 2019
Any blackening or a brown shade on the switch or outlet is cause for concern.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 29 Apr. 2016
Noun
Whole villages were nearly wiped out, and in total, some 60 percent of Europe's population would succumb to the disease, which was characterized by an extreme swelling of the lymph nodes and the gradual blackening of the fingertips and toes as the tissues died.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2016
Temple leaves the tail shell on the end of the shrimp to protect the tender tip in the blackening process.
—Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2021
Drizzle lime juice over tilapia, season with 1/2 tsp salt, and dip in blackening seasoning.
—Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, 31 Mar. 2020
Like Dorian Gray’s portrait, his face registered the blackening of Walt’s soul.
—Judy Berman, Time, 11 Oct. 2019
He and manager Dave Bristol went at it one day at the yard, with the manager blackening The Count’s eye.
—Gary Peterson, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2019
Fenolio came across an academic journal with a paper about a particular species of frog that had faced similar deaths — a blackening and drying of the skin followed by a quick demise.
—Josh Baugh, ExpressNews.com, 8 July 2019
The floors were free from the blackening caused by fire.
—National Geographic, 26 Mar. 2019
Any blackening or a brown shade on the switch or outlet is cause for concern.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 29 Apr. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackening
Noun
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Williams sued the tabloid for libel and won damages as well as an apology.Shyla Watson, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
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Many referred to the Gooding vs. Swan libel case as the Littlehampton Letters.Rendy Jones, EW.com, 1 Aug. 2024
Verb
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The flowers and the ferns put themselves to bed, shedding petals, drying and darkening, folding up.Richard Brookhiser, National Review, 19 Dec. 2024
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The weather is darkening, the leaves are falling and the zombies are nearing your doorstep.Annalise Frank, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
Noun
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And inside Disney’s C-suites on the Burbank lot, there was a feeling of déjà vu thanks to a looming defamation lawsuit filed in March by former and incoming President Donald Trump, a far more powerful and strident adversary than a South Dakota food processor.Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
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Seth Stern, director of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said Trump and his political allies have used consumer protection laws as a workaround when defamation lawsuits aren't as feasible.Elahe Izadi, arkansasonline.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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He was known for wearing balaclava and sunglasses in photographs, fully obscuring his face.Caroline Frost, Deadline, 22 Dec. 2024
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The dizzying pace of events since the collapse of Syria’s dictatorship, including daily revelations of its brutality leavened by inspiring images of celebration, has risked obscuring the single most important aspect of President Bashar al-Assad’s demise.Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Francis has long welcomed frank and open debates and even has welcomed criticism of his own work.CBS News, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024
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The professional wrestler also gave a direct response to a user who appeared to be poking fun at people’s criticisms that her edibles were too accessible to the dog.Bailey Richards, People.com, 21 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near blackening
Cite this Entry
“Blackening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackening. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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