whiten

verb whit·en \ ˈhwī-tᵊn , ˈwī- \

Definition of whiten

whitened; whitening play \ˈhwīt-niŋ, ˈwīt-, -ᵊn-iŋ\

transitive verb

:to make white or whiter

snow whitened the hills

intransitive verb

:to become white or whiter

See whiten defined for English-language learners

See whiten defined for kids

Examples of whiten in a Sentence

His hair whitened as he aged.
Bleach will whiten the linens.
The new toothpaste whitens teeth.

Recent Examples of whiten from the Web

In this film, a standard police interview can turn into an armed confrontation at knuckle-whitening speed.

— colin covert, charlotteobserver, "Movie review: ‘Wind River’ is another gem from Taylor Sheridan," 16 Aug. 2017
Many states bar non-dentists from whitening people’s teeth.

— michelle cottle, The Atlantic, "The Onerous, Arbitrary, Unaccountable World of Occupational Licensing," 13 Aug. 2017
For teeth whitening, proponents say to brush with activated charcoal two to three times a week (yes, this is a thing): Dip a wet toothbrush into powdered activated charcoal, brush as usual, swish to rinse.

— molly kimball, cleveland.com, "3 trendy supplements: Which safely deliver on the hype?," 1 Aug. 2017
In 2015, the FTC won a Supreme Court ruling against the North Carolina dental board, which tried to block teeth-whitening businesses from operating in malls.

— mary jordan, Washington Post, "The unexpected political power of dentists," 1 July 2017
At 25 percent carbamide peroxide, this CVS brand whitening kit hits near the top of the allowable range.

— emma sarran webster, Allure, "6 Of The Best Teeth-Whitening Kits In The Drugstore," 28 June 2017
Also, because bluing is a whitening agent only, it's used in concert with, not in place of, laundry detergent.

— jolie kerr, Esquire, "How to Keep Your White T-Shirts Looking Fresh This Summer," 16 June 2017
There's vanilla as a natural air freshener, lemon juice for whitening clothes, and vinegar for cleaning, well, pretty much anything.

— taysha murtaugh, Country Living, "The Weird Thing Your Grandma Used to Do With Bread," 2 June 2017
One of them, who was twelve years old, dabbed her face with a whitening powder to create a paler effect.

— jonathan blitzer, The New Yorker, "“We Are Not Used to People Thinking We Are Beautiful”," 2 June 2017

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

First Known Use of whiten

15th century

whiten Synonyms

Synonyms

blanch, bleach, blench, decolorize, dull, fade, pale, snow, wash out

Antonyms

darken, deepen, embrown

Related Words

brighten, lighten; dim, mat (also matte or matt); etiolate; whitewash; frost, silver

Near Antonyms

blacken; blotch, checker, dapple, daub, discolor, fleck, marble, mottle, pattern, polychrome, shade, speck, speckle, splotch, spot, streak, striate, stripe, tarnish, variegate; color, dye, paint, pigment, stain, tincture, tinge, tint; burnish, polish, shine

WHITEN Defined for English Language Learners

whiten

verb

Definition of whiten for English Language Learners

: to make (something) white or whiter or to become white or whiter

WHITEN Defined for Kids

whiten

verb whit·en \ ˈhwī-tᵊn , ˈwī- \

Definition of whiten for Students

whitened; whitening

:to make or become white or whiter

Bleach whitens sheets.

Learn More about whiten

See words that rhyme with whiten Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for whiten Spanish Central: Translation of whiten Nglish: Translation of whiten for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of whiten for Arabic speakers

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whiten

Definition of whiten

From the M-W Editors

Examples of whiten in a Sentence

Recent Examples of whiten from the Web

First Known Use of whiten

whiten Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

WHITEN Defined for English Language Learners

whiten

Definition of whiten for English Language Learners

WHITEN Defined for Kids

whiten

Definition of whiten for Students

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