sundown

American  

[suhn-doun] / ˈsʌnˌdaʊn /

noun

• sundowns
  plural

1. sunset, especially the time of sunset.

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verb (used without object)

1. Psychiatry. (especially of dementia patients) to experience confusion or hallucinations late in the day or at night, likely as a result of strange surroundings, drug effects, decreased sensory input, or reduction of oxygen supply to the brain.

sundown British  

/ ˈsʌnˌdaʊn /

noun

1. another name for sunset

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sundowns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sundown

First recorded in 1610–20; sun + down ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sundown sundowns

His portfolio, taken together, suggests a particular interest in the invisible forces governing everyday life: particulates, sundown, industrial produce conglomerates.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Eid al-Fitr is held on the first day of the 10th month of the calendar marking the end of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn to sundown.

From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026

Shortly after sundown on the second day of the war, electronic location transmissions from a China-flagged ship named Run Chen 2 stopped when it appeared to be approaching Hormuz.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026

“If the conflict abates by Monday sundown, coinciding with the start of the Jewish holiday Purim, the oil price spike could prove short-lived,” Kaneva wrote.

From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026

“Temple bell until sundown, every day,” said Min.

From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

In her book, Sunsets, the Washington native presents dozens of beautifully captured sundowns, most taken during a three-year yachting trip around the world.

From Forbes ● Jun. 18, 2010

There were automobiles, traps, victorias, hay-racks, and "sundowns" standing all along the street in the vicinity of Hapgood's Grove.

From The Daughter of Anderson Crow by George Barr McCutcheon

Related Words

• dusk