BLACKENING Synonyms: 214 Similar and Opposite Words

blackening 1 of 2

noun

ˈblak-niŋ

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

blackening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of blacken

as in staining

to make dirty blackened the towels with their dirty hands

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in smearing

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in fading

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples of blackening in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blackening.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.