1
as in disappears
to cease to be visible
the departing ship gradually faded over the horizon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bleaches
to make white or whiter by removing color
years of harsh sunlight had faded the car, which was once fire-engine red
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in weakens
to lose bodily strength or vigor
began to fade after battling the disease for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fades
Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The continent’s funds have seen steady inflows over the last 12 months, after years of outflows, as pessimism over Europe’s economy fades.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 20 Feb. 2026
This look starts with a powder blue and fades into a deep cerulean.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026
The lighting softens as the day fades.
—Nathanael Bondu, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
Unlike its silver counterparts, the sheen on gold flatware fades over time if they are cleaned in the dishwasher.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
Fields features elite size (6-4, 218), reliable hands and creates mismatches on jump balls and fades.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
As the sun moves higher in the sky, the reflective effect fades and disappears, and the bird can no longer see himself.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
Finally, the nebula fades away and only a white dwarf is left behind.
—Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
Singleton acknowledged that sustaining the coordinated, multi-agency model beyond the World Cup will be difficult once the spotlight fades.
—Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The continent’s funds have seen steady inflows over the last 12 months, after years of outflows, as pessimism over Europe’s economy fades.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 20 Feb. 2026
This look starts with a powder blue and fades into a deep cerulean.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026
The lighting softens as the day fades.
—Nathanael Bondu, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
Unlike its silver counterparts, the sheen on gold flatware fades over time if they are cleaned in the dishwasher.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
Fields features elite size (6-4, 218), reliable hands and creates mismatches on jump balls and fades.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
As the sun moves higher in the sky, the reflective effect fades and disappears, and the bird can no longer see himself.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
Finally, the nebula fades away and only a white dwarf is left behind.
—Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fades
Verb
-
His customers include older baby boomers and Gen X‑ers nostalgic for the players of their childhood, but most have been millennials like himself, drawn to something tactile and analog in an era when everything else disappears into the digital ether.—
Oliver Wang,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
That’s like the part of the map that disappears and there are dragons there.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His owner, Hannah Gleason from Oklahoma, told Newsweek that the merle gene isn’t a coloring gene rather than a gene that bleaches the fur and causes lack of pigmentation which can lead to birth defects, blindness, deafness, or sometimes all three.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Privacy advocates argue that any ambiguity around storage or deletion timelines weakens public confidence.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Sending young people far from home weakens support systems and makes outcomes worse.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Full faux furs are still in the mix, but I was particularly intrigued by its appearance on the trims of the coat.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
-
With models ranging from budget-friendly entry-level trims all the way up to the high-performance N and off-road XRT, the Ioniq 5 has a little something for every EV shopper.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The story is driven by siblings Codi (10) and Vera (15), still reeling one year after their mother Loren vanishes during a mysterious accident at her hi-tech lab.—
Emiliano De Pablos,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
When Claire and Frank retreat to Inverness on holiday following the end of WWII, Frank spies the spectre of a Highlander staring up into Claire's window that abruptly vanishes.—
Amy Wilkinson,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The colorful evergreen foliage provides a warm winter welcome in porch planters and brightens patios all year long.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Notes like vanilla, coffee, chocolate, and peppermint keep luring me in, veiling me in a cake-like cloud that brightens my mood on even the gloomiest 20-degree days.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Lip Sleeping Mask in Sweet Candy is a bright fuchsia shade that goes perfectly with this sweet flavor.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Perhaps, the thinking goes, people just naturally agree on certain associations between shapes and sounds because of some innate feature of our brain or our world.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Lucy Boynton is known for her bobs and lobs, and this more demure style suits her well.—
Elise Tabin,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Golden Globes hair 2026 proved that just about every length has Old Hollywood styling potential, from bobs to bixies to long, layered cuts.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fades. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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