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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in staining
to make dirty
blackened the towels with their dirty hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smearing
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the politician maliciously blackened his opponent's reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in darkening
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
thick smoke from the forest fires blackened the sky for many miles
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in fading
to grow dark
the auditorium blackened suddenly, and a spotlighted performer appeared alone on stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 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
-
The Jane the Virgin alum also sued The New York Times for libel, false light invasion of privacy and more on Dec. 31 over an article about her complaints against him.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
21 Jan. 2025
-
Rather than defend statements that George Stephanopoulos made about Trump last spring, ABC News last month agreed to make the former president's libel lawsuit go away by paying him $15 million toward his presidential library.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Jan. 2025
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
Noun
-
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are reportedly seeking to dismiss Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit against them.—
Meredith Nardino,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2025
-
In the weeks before his inauguration, ABC agreed to donate $15 million to Trump’s future presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit against the network.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
But the transportation secretary on Sunday also repeatedly echoed Trump and his top allies' criticism of DEI efforts in the immediate aftermath of the DC-area collision.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA TODAY,
2 Feb. 2025
-
The reality smash hit has come in for a lot of criticism of late, with season seven particularly causing a great deal of passionate debate online.—
Abid Rahman,
The Hollywood Reporter,
1 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near blackening
Cite this Entry
“Blackening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackening. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share