How to Use brighten in a Sentence

brighten

verb
  • The sky brightened after the storm.
  • The good news brightened her mood.
  • He brightened the picture on the television.
  • Her face brightened in relief when she heard that he was not hurt.
  • Flowers can brighten any room.
  • Business prospects brightened last month.
  • The white walls help bounce the light the lamps cast and brighten the space.
    Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, WSJ, 16 Oct. 2020
  • Her sassy lines are gold, and Tevlin brightens the whole screen.
    Kaely Monahan, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2023
  • In the market for a new eye cream that brightens and depuffs?
    Sarah Han, Allure, 19 Oct. 2023
  • The niacinamide brightens while the spinach leaf extract plumps and smooths the skin.
    Enjanae' Taylor, Southern Living, 2 May 2024
  • Fresh dill and lemon zest lift and brighten the flavors.
    Christopher Kimball, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Mar. 2021
  • String lights overhead brighten the space once the sun goes down.
    Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Aug. 2024
  • This will be a fun way to brighten the youngsters’ day and kick off Spring.
    Shirley MacFarland, cleveland, 19 Mar. 2021
  • The couple tries to find small ways to brighten the darkness.
    Yutao Chen, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2023
  • Like the flashlight, this item can brighten up a tough day.
    Rob Verger, Popular Science, 18 Dec. 2020
  • As the sun moved further behind the clouds, the candles seemed to brighten.
    Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Oct. 2023
  • Only the edges of the sand dunes, and the sky just above them, were beginning to brighten.
    Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
  • The cream may brighten and de-puff eyes in as little as four weeks.
    Jasmine Gomez, Women's Health, 9 Sep. 2023
  • In the case of the mako plate, the original design was too dark and had to be brightened up, Dodd said.
    Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Apr. 2023
  • The zest really brightens the flavor of the whole dish.
    Amanda Holstein, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2024
  • This brightens your thoughts and encourages you to see the glass as half full.
    Ana Morales, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2024
  • The for dark circles can do more than just brighten your skin.
    Women's Health, 8 Feb. 2023
  • Add the same pearly light color to the inner corner of the eye to brighten things up, too.
    Jessica Teich, Good Housekeeping, 2 June 2021
  • This ombré pair brightens it from end to end and draws eyes up.
    Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 25 Apr. 2023
  • Add the the yellow blooms to a vase to instantly brighten your home.
    Isabel Garcia, House Beautiful, 15 Dec. 2020
  • Skies brighten just a bit this afternoon, as highs reach the low to mid-40s with a light wind from the south.
    Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2020
  • French doors were installed to brighten the room and connect it to the outdoor area.
    Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 19 Nov. 2020
  • The space has been brightened a bit, and some funky gold booths and a gorgeous mural added.
    Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 17 July 2025
  • While the right tune played at the right time can brighten a mood, syncing with a teammate can create a bond.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Best seen about an hour before sunrise, bright planets Venus and Jupiter will continue to dominate in the east while Saturn brightens in the south.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brighten.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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