as in to bleach
to make white or whiter by removing color
years of sunlight had almost completely whitened the flag
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Recent Examples of whiten
Mondelez has Forever Oreos, and Colgate has a product that can whiten teeth in a week.
—
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
The files include jokey exchanges and emails planning visits to Epstein properties, teeth-whitening appointments and shopping trips.
—Jill Lawless, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
Over a period of about 10 years, London had more than 30 procedures, including several nose jobs, eyelid surgeries, brow and temple lifts and whitening skin injections, spending in excess of $200,000.
—Amanda Montell, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
Your next tooth-whitening and repairing substance might well be a new powder developed by Shanghai researchers.
—New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whiten
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
The files include jokey exchanges and emails planning visits to Epstein properties, teeth-whitening appointments and shopping trips.
—Jill Lawless, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
Over a period of about 10 years, London had more than 30 procedures, including several nose jobs, eyelid surgeries, brow and temple lifts and whitening skin injections, spending in excess of $200,000.
—Amanda Montell, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
Your next tooth-whitening and repairing substance might well be a new powder developed by Shanghai researchers.
—New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whiten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiten
Verb
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Corals bleached and their population nose-dived, especially in the Keys, where water temperatures hit a Jacuzzi-like 101 degrees.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
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Egg cartons made with recycled paper could be bleached or potentially contain contaminants, depending on the origins of the paper.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Will those quality wins be enough to bolster the tournament hopes that seem to fade with each score update from across the country?—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Mar. 2026
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Similarly, faded or outdated trim and porch columns stick out in a modern neighborhood, but these features can be updated with a quick coat of paint or stain to enhance the look of your home.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Amid the infinity pools and sleek van transfers, careful touches of Bohol culture abound at South Palms Resort & Spa Panglao, from bold, handcrafted textiles and reclaimed wood in the rooms to classic Filipino dishes and heritage ingredients, which brighten the food and beverage options.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
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Article continues below Since then, the comet has brightened some 600-fold to magnitude 11, bright enough to be readily detected in amateur telescopes of 8 to 10-inch aperture.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whiten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiten. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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