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 Howe fire, the larger blaze, had blackened about 40 acres Monday night and was burning in steep terrain south of Piru around the Santa Clara River.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2025
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
