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sundown

American  
[suhn-daun] / ˈsʌnˌdaʊn /

noun

  • sundowns
    plural
  1. sunset, especially the time of sunset.


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of sundown

First recorded in 1610–20; sun + down 1

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.

See Examples For:

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

Residents have already described to the BBC how lorries could be seen delivering materials, including fencing and septic tanks, after sundown on Friday.

From BBC ● May 7, 2026

Ali al-Khazali lives in Baghdad and spent $2,000 recently on Chinese-made rooftop solar panels plus a battery to store electricity after sundown.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 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

By the time they returned to the airport at sundown for their night flight overseas, a storm was swirling somewhere over the dark Atlantic.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

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

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