1
as in shadows
a time or place of little or no light
strange noises were coming from the wooded umbra beyond our campfire
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2
as in shadow
partial darkness due to the obstruction of light rays
during a solar eclipse observers located within the umbra experience a complete blocking of the sun by the moon
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Recent Examples of umbra
In a new paper published earlier this month in The Astronomical Journal, Wright sets out exactly how the moon’s terrain creates the shape of its umbra.
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Jamie Carter, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
In a partial lunar eclipse, the moon sits partly inside the Earth’s shadow, also known as the umbra.
—Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 17 Sep. 2024
In the case of a total lunar eclipse, the moon moves into the inner part of Earth’s shadow, or the umbra, which can turn the lunar surface a striking red for a few hours, according to NASA.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2024
During a partial lunar eclipse, the moon passes through only part of the Earth's shadow, or umbra, entering into an imperfect alignment with the sun and Earth.
—John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for umbra 
Jamie Carter, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
In a partial lunar eclipse, the moon sits partly inside the Earth’s shadow, also known as the umbra.
—Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 17 Sep. 2024
In the case of a total lunar eclipse, the moon moves into the inner part of Earth’s shadow, or the umbra, which can turn the lunar surface a striking red for a few hours, according to NASA.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2024
During a partial lunar eclipse, the moon passes through only part of the Earth's shadow, or umbra, entering into an imperfect alignment with the sun and Earth.
—John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for umbra
Recent Examples of Synonyms for umbra
Noun
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Play the Sun In a perfect scenario, your decoys will be in the sun (so ducks can see them well) and your hide will be in the shadows.Joe Arterburn, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024
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Then blitz a weakside linebacker who is lurking in the shadows.Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Another almost fell to their death while the group was hiking after dark along a steep, forested hillside above Class V rapids.Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 8 Nov. 2024
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Zion finishes off the standard base trailer with a set of four bed lights for easily rummaging through cargo after dark and a rocker switch panel for those lights and available auxiliary and rock lights.New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The easiest way to play with berry makeup is to do so by tinting the lips in rich grape and raspberry shades.Beatrice Zocchi, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2024
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Take cheddar, for instance — it can be found in both shades.Vox Staff, Vox, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The score roils with melodic drama in the film’s prologue, which vibrantly depicts a tense heist to steal the titular piano under the cover of darkness and a Fourth of July fireworks show in Mississippi.Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
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Speed, distraction, infrastructure and, as a Detroit Free Press/USA Today Network investigation revealed in 2018, the increasing presence of large trucks and SUVs with their higher front ends, have all played a role, along with factors, including darkness and impairment.Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Perhaps the most impressive features of this tiny home are the floor-to-ceiling windows, which provide tons of natural light throughout the day and give you a beautiful view of nature at dusk.Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2024
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Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed 40 people around the eastern city of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley on Wednesday, according to the country’s health ministry, and at dusk more strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs.Reuters, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Flaunt this fun, floral style, or opt for their best-selling classic black.Meg Donohue, Town & Country, 31 Jan. 2023
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Take your pick from black to mocha to crisp, winter white.Taylor Jean Stephan, Peoplemag, 31 Jan. 2023
Noun
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Instead of gentle concentric circles, gleaming finishes, or a mesmerizing light show, the ProArt P16 meets us with inky blackness.PCMAG, PCMAG, 13 Oct. 2024
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The Mid-Credits Scene — the King in Black The central plot of The Last Dance revolves around Venom trying to stop the creator of the symbiotes, Knull (Andy Serkis), from escaping his celestial prison and returning all of existence to the Void, the blackness that predates the universe.Richard Newby, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
Noun
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These and other organic molecules likely formed in the twilight years of the earliest stars, perhaps as early as a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 13 Nov. 2024
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The Summit at Snoqualmie, in Washington, sells night-skiing tickets (hours are 4 to 9:30 P.M.) for $40; afternoon tickets for $58, or twilight tickets (starting at 2 P.M.) for $59.Megan Michelson, Outside Online, 12 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Umbra.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/umbra. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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