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sundown

American  
[suhn-doun] / 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

Long Beach’s R&B savant Giveon kept his Coachella stage to a monochrome motif during his sundown set.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 13, 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

That evening, a little after sundown, I opened the back gate.

From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls

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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