as in fading
to make white or whiter by removing color
bleached the stained shirt back to its original white
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Recent Examples of bleaching
For example, coral reefs are bleaching more often and dying due to ocean warming and acidification, undermining fisheries, marine biodiversity and economic sectors such as tourism.
—
Lauren Gifford, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2025
The pic also showed off Jennifer Aniston’s money piece highlights, the face-framing way to give yourself a bit of a blonde glow without bleaching your whole head, sort of the way a ring light illuminates you from the front.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 19 Aug. 2025
By midmorning in the Central Valley, the light turns hard and white, bleaching the sky and flattening every shadow.
—Dean Florez, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
Similarly, bleaching with chemicals like permanganate or hypochlorite, which consumes substantial water, can be replaced by ozone bleaching using air, significantly reducing water usage and simplifying the drying process.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 5 Dec. 2024
To keep their golden color, sultanas are treated with sulfur dioxide, a bleaching preservative that prevents them from oxidizing (turning brown) and retains their quality and uniform color.
—Lauren O'Connor, Ms, Health, 29 Sep. 2024
Lauren Gifford, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2025
The pic also showed off Jennifer Aniston’s money piece highlights, the face-framing way to give yourself a bit of a blonde glow without bleaching your whole head, sort of the way a ring light illuminates you from the front.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 19 Aug. 2025
By midmorning in the Central Valley, the light turns hard and white, bleaching the sky and flattening every shadow.
—Dean Florez, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
Similarly, bleaching with chemicals like permanganate or hypochlorite, which consumes substantial water, can be replaced by ozone bleaching using air, significantly reducing water usage and simplifying the drying process.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 5 Dec. 2024
To keep their golden color, sultanas are treated with sulfur dioxide, a bleaching preservative that prevents them from oxidizing (turning brown) and retains their quality and uniform color.
—Lauren O'Connor, Ms, Health, 29 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleaching
Verb
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That combo typically signals bearish pressure is fading and a potential trend shift is forming.—
Nishant Pant,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
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Glitter’s dusty shadow, fading into the lower part of the brow bone, brought out the moody hue on the lips.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Planetary scientists estimate that by about a billion years after the solar system’s birth, the gradually brightening sun would have been able to efficiently vaporize any liquid water on Venus.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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Fairmont Hotel Vancouver Fairmont Hotel Vancouver Four-Star Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is brightening the seasons throughout the year with a series of special events.—
Carolyn Heller,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Following the success of its Strawberry Smile collaboration with Sanrio, Moon is teaming up again with Hello Kitty to launch a mint and chocolate-flavored collection, featuring a few of the beauty brand’s bestselling essentials, such as the whitening pen duo and toothpaste.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
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Typically, whitening strips can lighten the shade of your teeth by one to two shades.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bleaching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleaching. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
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