blanch

verb

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\ ˈblanch

blanched; blanching; blanches

Definition of blanch

transitive verb

: to take the color out of Age had blanched his hair. : such as

a cooking : to scald or parboil in water or steam in order to remove the skin from, whiten, or stop enzymatic action in (such as food for freezing) blanch the asparagus in salted boiling water

b : to bleach by excluding light blanch the leaves of a plant

c : to make ashen or pale fear blanches the cheek

intransitive verb

: to become white or pale (as from shock or fear) His face blanched with horror. —often used figuratively to describe a reaction of shock or dismay that makes someone unwilling or reluctant to proceed Civilians also saw benefits to the system but blanched when talk then included references to $300-plus user fees.— Dan Fales… the managers of the companies blanched at the expenditures necessary to retool factories.— Charles C. Mann

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Synonyms & Antonyms for blanch

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples of blanch in a Sentence

Blanch the potatoes before slicing them. a cup of blanched almonds She blanched and remained silent when the store owner accused her of taking the money.

Recent Examples on the Web Entering this season, Mike Locksley’s career record would cause most people to blanch. — Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press, "Big Ten winners, losers: Basketball schools rising as Michigan, Nebraska continue to fall," 9 Nov. 2020 While those exclusions haven’t been enforced for generations, new laws in Maryland and across the country are helping the Humphries and others who blanch at racist covenants still on the books. — Washington Post, "Racist housing covenants haunt property records across the country. New laws make them easier to remove.," 22 Oct. 2020 Next, blanch the melon and then drop it in an ice bath to prevent overcooking. — Clarissa Wei, Bon Appétit, "Umami, Salty, and Rich, Douchi Does It All," 19 Oct. 2020 Instead, blanch the squash to will help preserve its texture. — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, "How To Freeze Squash," 4 Sep. 2020 Do not blanch colorful types of cauliflower that are orange, purple or green. — Dan Gill, NOLA.com, "Make it a tasty fall by planting your own veggie garden with root crops, garlic and greens," 30 Sep. 2020 This is a drama, not a documentary; purists and historians may blanch at a thing or two, but like any good work of fiction, the film gets at essential truths in ways that a straight-up retelling wouldn’t so effectively. — Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, "Aaron Sorkin's 'The Trial of the Chicago 7' is timely and unexpectedly fun. Here's why," 25 Sep. 2020 Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil, add the broccoli florets (blanch the florets and stems separately) and cook until crisp-tender, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. — Patricia S York, Southern Living, "How To Cook Broccoli," 18 Sep. 2020 Just be sure to blanch the shellfish before marinating, then top with orange segments and mint leaves for a truly summery dish. — Mary Tomlinson, Southern Living, "What Is Ceviche?," 10 July 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blanch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.