as in brightened
to make white or whiter by removing color
bleached the stained shirt back to its original white
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in faded
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bleached
Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
While the specs on this unit list knots as pre-bleached—the tiny dots attaching each strand to the lace, designed to mimic a natural scalp—they’re actually still pretty dark and visible.
—Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 25 Sep. 2025
Three levels boast ’80s-appropriate details, beginning with a pastel color palette and extending to bleached oak floors and copious glass blocks.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 19 Sep. 2025
From bleached eyebrows to full beats, take a look at our favorite beauty moments from the day.
—Essence, 15 Sep. 2025
Towering live oaks, cedars, and palmettos once grew near the shore here, but as the Atlantic’s erosive forces carved the bluffs away, the trees tumbled down and were weathered by sun and salt into pale, bleached skeletons.
—Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2025
Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2025
The combination of white quartz and bleached ash wood make this a piece that will brighten up even windowless bathrooms.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 18 Sep. 2025
The coral, now bleached, is alive, but slowly starving.
—Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
The only thing not bleached was, luckily, his face.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
The visual begins with the 21-year-old Slovak pop star—her hair dyed pastel pink, her eyebrows bleached—appearing to simulate an orgasm in front of a shrine to pop music in her bedroom.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 23 Aug. 2025
Tokischa’s hair spikes out like jagged rays of an eccentric sun, bleached in a shade of unapologetic, brassy yellow.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 15 Aug. 2025
Unfortunately, the 2025 Perseids happened to coincide with the appearance of a waxing gibbous moon, which bleached the sky with moonlight, blotting out all but the brightest members of the ancient meteor shower.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef, famed for its stunning colors and biodiversity, suffered its biggest ever decline last year after a marine heatwave bleached vast swathes of hard coral, a new report has found.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
The 37-year-old singer covered the top of her blond dreadlocks with a black hair head wrap, calling attention to her soft glam and bleached eyebrows.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
While the specs on this unit list knots as pre-bleached—the tiny dots attaching each strand to the lace, designed to mimic a natural scalp—they’re actually still pretty dark and visible.
—Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 25 Sep. 2025
Three levels boast ’80s-appropriate details, beginning with a pastel color palette and extending to bleached oak floors and copious glass blocks.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 19 Sep. 2025
From bleached eyebrows to full beats, take a look at our favorite beauty moments from the day.
—Essence, 15 Sep. 2025
Towering live oaks, cedars, and palmettos once grew near the shore here, but as the Atlantic’s erosive forces carved the bluffs away, the trees tumbled down and were weathered by sun and salt into pale, bleached skeletons.
—Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Here, hollowed eyes, pale complexions, bleached or barely there brows and bold lips were encouraged.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2025
The combination of white quartz and bleached ash wood make this a piece that will brighten up even windowless bathrooms.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 18 Sep. 2025
The coral, now bleached, is alive, but slowly starving.
—Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
The only thing not bleached was, luckily, his face.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
The visual begins with the 21-year-old Slovak pop star—her hair dyed pastel pink, her eyebrows bleached—appearing to simulate an orgasm in front of a shrine to pop music in her bedroom.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 23 Aug. 2025
Tokischa’s hair spikes out like jagged rays of an eccentric sun, bleached in a shade of unapologetic, brassy yellow.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 15 Aug. 2025
Unfortunately, the 2025 Perseids happened to coincide with the appearance of a waxing gibbous moon, which bleached the sky with moonlight, blotting out all but the brightest members of the ancient meteor shower.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef, famed for its stunning colors and biodiversity, suffered its biggest ever decline last year after a marine heatwave bleached vast swathes of hard coral, a new report has found.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleached
Verb
-
The stock market is still rallying to record highs, the Fed is widely expected to cut rates at its meeting later this month, and the general consensus is that recession risks have all but faded.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Not to worry though, say scientists at NASA, because another meteor shower happens in October well after the supermoon has faded.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Defensive end Anthony Smith said his eyes brightened as ball shot backwards.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The fireworks that lit up the sky afterward brightened an otherwise dreary night as the Mustangs turned three first-half Hornets turnovers into 11 points, punctuated by a 23-yard interception return into the end zone by Brian Dukes Jr.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Her eyes were technically blue, but really more gray; other people’s blue eyes seemed to draw commentary, but no one ever remarked on hers.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Saturday morning on campus in Westwood was gray and groggy.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Images generally have washed-out colors and an overall dark tone.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
25 July 2025
-
Lindsay’s nails cause the color of the nail bed to look half white and half red or brown, whereas Terry’s nails cause the nail bed to look mostly white or washed-out, per Cleveland Clinic.—
Caroline C. Boyle,
USA TODAY,
12 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
There’s a fine line between being a bit mysterious in negotiations and just being wishy washy.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
23 June 2025
-
The best is the smiles and dancing at the washy washy station.—
Nathan Diller,
USA TODAY,
13 May 2024
Cite this Entry
“Bleached.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleached. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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