The term 'became dark' can be broken down into three crossword solutions: LATENED (7 letters), WAS (3 letters), and WORE (4 letters). This phrase is often used to describe a situation in which the light of day fades away and darkness sets in. In this context, LATENED means that the darkness arrived later than usual, WAS implies that it was a gradual process, and WORE suggests that the darkness lasted for a period of time.