blacken
verb (used with object)
to make black; darken.
had blackened
-
past perfectof blacken.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She said the farmers and firefighters had blackened faces and sore eyes.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2025
The fire burning in Clearlake, about 110 miles northwest of Sacramento, had blackened at least 76 acres as of Monday morning, according to Cal Fire reports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2024
As of Thursday, fires had blackened less than 363,000 acres throughout the Golden State.
From Scientific American ● Nov. 15, 2022
An adjacent wall featured an image of a young boy in bandages, wearing a gas mask, but fundamentalists had blackened out his face.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 3, 2018
I gave them the fruits I bought at Ninth Mile and apologized because the heat in the boot had blackened the bananas.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
