penumbral

adjective

as in darkened

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of penumbral The eclipse will be penumbral, and may be difficult to notice. — Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 Aug. 2026 The outer penumbral cone casts a soft, wide shadow, while the inner umbra reveals the distinct curve of Earth's silhouette. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026 First, the moon enters the faint outer shadow of the Earth, or the penumbra, where dimming is subtle; this is the penumbral eclipse. — Stefanie Waldek, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Mar. 2026 The penumbral shadow is the outer, lighter portion, which only partially blocks sunlight. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2026 The penumbral shadow is the outer, lighter shadow where only a partial blocking of sunlight occurs. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penumbral
  1. darkened
  2. dusky
  3. moonless
  4. obscured
  5. darkish
  6. darkling
  7. obscure
  8. pitch-dark
Adjective
  • Around them stand darkened houses, and uncollected trash piles up on the street.
    — Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026
  • This trend has been pretty pervasive among designer bags recently, with shoppers buying new Prada and Chanel bags with darkened leather to give them a used look, or sourcing vintage Celine bags with obvious signs of wear.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Definition of darkened
Adjective
  • Rooms The 149 guestrooms and 37 suites come alive in interiors inspired by ocean waves and the dusky skies of the Hollywood Hills, so the palette is moody, the finishes are polished, but nothing whispers.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • From brick red to ashen violet and dusky taupe, these are the soft yet moody nail colors to keep an eye on this fall.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of dusky
Adjective
  • Just hours after the eclipse ends, the annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak beneath almost perfectly moonless skies.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Then, just hours later, the Perseid meteor shower will peak beneath perfectly moonless skies.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of moonless
Adjective
  • Each of the 24 service members is seen in obscured profile, their voices modified to make identification impossible.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Across Britain, where the sun was more than 90% obscured, people flocked to hilltop parks and anywhere with an open view of the sky to see the best eclipse since 1999.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of obscured
Adjective
  • Photos of Trump at this year’s World Economic Forum in Switzerland show an even gnarlier darkish bruise on his left hand.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 22 Jan. 2026
Definition of darkish
Adjective
  • Its 19th-century spire lit up like a matchstick against the darkling sky, its tip cracking and plunging through the ceiling.
    — Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of darkling
Adjective
  • Other researchers were hunting the agents online and finding traces of them on obscure message boards.
    — Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Akhtar is at his best here because the sensations remain vivid even when their significance is obscure.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • The music is quiet but powerful, blending pitch-dark tones and sunny melodies in ways that can recall Elliott Smith, Joanna Newsom, and Animal Collective, among other left-field heroes.
    — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026
  • The 21st century has yielded no shortage of stylish horror marbled with devious veins of pitch-dark humor — Peter Strickland’s In Fabric, Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook, Halina Reijn’s Bodies Bodies Bodies, Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell, pretty much every Jordan Peele feature.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Definition of pitch-dark

Browse Nearby Words

penumbrae
penumbral
penurious
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Cite this Entry

“Penumbral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penumbral. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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