blanch

verb

ˈblanch How to pronounce blanch (audio)
Definition of blanchnext
as in to bleach
to make white or whiter by removing color a good washing with bleach should blanch these yellowed sheets

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of blanch How to Enjoy Them Richter enjoys lightly blanching green beans and tossing them with olive oil, lemon, fresh herbs, and pistachios or almonds. — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 22 June 2026 Harris also shows us the burn scars that ripple up Racine’s arm and across Anaia’s face, textured skin that makes strangers blanch, to which Racine lashes out defensively. — Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 15 May 2026 The Thunder, Spurs and Knicks look so far away, the Nuggets could have telescope night for the first 5,000 fans on opening night and no one would blanch. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 5 June 2026 This World Cup lead-up has also been about the FIFAfication of America, where even notorious former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter blanches at the level of cronyism, politicization and money-grabbing on display. — Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for blanch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blanch
  1. bleach
  2. fade
  3. brighten
  4. whiten
Verb
  • That buildup can bleach existing pigment from within and damage the enzymes hair needs to keep producing melanin.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • After seeing their brows bleached for the first time at our shoot, Megan and Daniela’s excited screams cause everyone’s heads to whip toward the glam room in a mixture of both fear and curiosity.
    — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 25 June 2026
Definition of bleach
Verb
  • But rental business owners like Zhao observed that the rental prices have begun to slide as novelty surrounding these stunt-performing androids fades.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
  • The combination of hyaluronic and azelaic acid does wonders to fade dark spots, soothe redness, and deeply hydrate.
    — Olivia Dubyak, InStyle, 30 June 2026
Definition of fade
Verb
  • In a process known as photobleaching, the UV light breaks down the chemical bonds in pigments, which can brighten your whites.
    — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 1 July 2026
  • The light that shone from Red Beard’s joints brightened.
    — Will Mackin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026
Definition of brighten
Verb
  • Use baking soda to treat stains in your laundry, freshen and soften fabrics, and boost bleach whitening abilities.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 19 June 2026
  • The chemical remains an ingredient in countless products from whitening toothpastes to eyeshadows, although the FDA did ban its inclusion in household soap products in 2016.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 12 June 2026
Definition of whiten

Browse Nearby Words

blaming
blanch
blanched
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blanch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blanch. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on blanch

Nglish: Translation of blanch for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All