1
as in flag
a piece of cloth with a special design that is used as an emblem or for signaling
flew their country's colors atop the highest mast on the ship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in troops
the combined army, air force, and navy of a nation
she hopes to carry on the family tradition and serve with the colors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in nature
the set of qualities that makes a person, a group of people, or a thing different from others
we saw his true colors during the emergency
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in paints
to give color or a different color to
per the couple's request, the baker used natural ingredients like beet juice and turmeric to color the icing for the wedding cake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in exaggerates
to add to the interest of by including made-up details
he gave a highly colored version of a rather mundane experience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in distorts
to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of
his news reporting is colored by his prejudices
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in blushes
to develop a rosy facial color (as from excitement or embarrassment)
she colored after hearing the nasty remarks about her weight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 colors
Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025
This year-round sneaker comes in a wide variety of colors, including this neutral blue denim, dark rose, black, red, green, light, blue, and more.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2025
Ronnie here — time to swap skeletons for pumpkin spice and enjoy those gorgeous fall colors before Mariah Carey fully thaws.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
The kit, which comes in four colors—matte white, desert rose, matte black, and hazy blue—comes with a chawan (bowl) with a pouring spout, a naoshi (whisk stand), a chasen (bamboo whisk), a tea tray, a stainless-steel spoon, and a sifter.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Nov. 2025
Auroras typically appear in a range of colors, including greens, pinks and reds, often featuring several shades of these colors.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 6 Nov. 2025
The space is being given a modern look, with the Bucks' signature colors being used in the interior design.
—Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Manufactured in Korea, the products don’t contain synthetic colors, chemicals, or harmful dyes.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 6 Nov. 2025
For a cozy addition, snag this boucle swivel armchair that’s available in five colors and an upholstered bed frame with hidden storage drawers.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2025
The survivors were scattered around the world, and even over a century later, the tragedy still colors their view of their ancestral region.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2025
This process colors the planet’s sky permanently pink.
—Joel S. Levine, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2025
And a new report from the same source suggests what colors the cases for the iPhone 17 Pro will include.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
This pint-sized loropetalum produces stunning purple foliage that colors the garden all year long.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
Smartphones and digital cameras are more sensitive to the array of colors and may be able to capture images of the auroras, even if not visible to the naked eye, according to NASA.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025
This year-round sneaker comes in a wide variety of colors, including this neutral blue denim, dark rose, black, red, green, light, blue, and more.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2025
Ronnie here — time to swap skeletons for pumpkin spice and enjoy those gorgeous fall colors before Mariah Carey fully thaws.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
The kit, which comes in four colors—matte white, desert rose, matte black, and hazy blue—comes with a chawan (bowl) with a pouring spout, a naoshi (whisk stand), a chasen (bamboo whisk), a tea tray, a stainless-steel spoon, and a sifter.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Nov. 2025
Auroras typically appear in a range of colors, including greens, pinks and reds, often featuring several shades of these colors.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 6 Nov. 2025
The space is being given a modern look, with the Bucks' signature colors being used in the interior design.
—Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Manufactured in Korea, the products don’t contain synthetic colors, chemicals, or harmful dyes.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 6 Nov. 2025
For a cozy addition, snag this boucle swivel armchair that’s available in five colors and an upholstered bed frame with hidden storage drawers.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
First, the molds are cleaned and waxed, then the staff will review the work order to understand which colors the customer wants.
—Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2025
The survivors were scattered around the world, and even over a century later, the tragedy still colors their view of their ancestral region.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2025
This process colors the planet’s sky permanently pink.
—Joel S. Levine, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2025
And a new report from the same source suggests what colors the cases for the iPhone 17 Pro will include.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
This pint-sized loropetalum produces stunning purple foliage that colors the garden all year long.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colors
Noun
-
More than 2,000 navy and aircraft carrier construction personnel looked on from stands along the dock as Xi joined an honor guard in a flag ceremony for the commissioning, which took place Wednesday afternoon.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
In fact, someone from the Ali Grace team checks in directly with each customer to confirm details and flag anything that doesn’t look quite right.—
Andre Claudio,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The California State University San Marcos Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets, Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets from Mission Hills High School, San Marcos High School, Woodland Park Middle School, and Boys and Girl Scout troops will assist with the ceremony.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
And yet, the White House doesn’t seem to have committed anything like the number of ground troops necessary to invade a country the size of Venezuela.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Crown and dignity Catalina Ruiz Navarro, a Colombian feminist activist and journalist based in Mexico City, argued that the nature of beauty pageants like Miss Universe places women in a patriarchal position.—
Anabella González,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Plus, the very nature of recording your live stream of thoughts means a lot of editing later down the line.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
How Deepfakes Became a New Corporate Threat The report paints a picture of deepfake fraud maturing into a repeatable business model.—
Adam Mills,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The data paints a picture of an urgent drive to develop capacity for new and more sophisticated missiles.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Tainy’s Prometheus — is portrayed by Feid, dressed in an oversized leather coat and lit in a manner that exaggerates his grills in an eerie way.—
Juan J. Arroyo,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Whether or not The Bitch of Buchenwald did what is reenacted on the show isn’t relevant, because her activities are placed in the context of a comic book that exaggerates history to make a point — just like Monster does.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This dynamic suppresses wages and distorts labor competition.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Expecting others to adapt to us is a selfish gesture that distorts the spirit of travel.—
Wilson Santiago Burgos,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Long blushes through the compliment and returns it, praising Bosworth right back.—
William Earl,
Variety,
22 Sep. 2025
-
While at dusk, the horizon blushes with coral light as fishing boats drift past the silhouette of Longtou Rock.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Along with producers Gellar, Zhao and the Zuckermans, Dolly Parton is returning as an executive producer on the series after producing the original under her Sandollar banner.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The trade show’s organizer said the project stems from its expertise in the fragrance world with its banner Pitti Fragranze fair.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colors. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share