as in brightening
to become glad or hopeful
the patient lightened when he heard the disease responds well to treatment
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in illuminating
to supply with light
the room was gradually lightened by the rising sun
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of lightening
Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 3 June 2026
The overall vibe is quiet luxury—rich, polished, and well-maintained, without over-lightening the hair.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 24 May 2026
Cyrus has been subtly lightening her naturally brunette color over the last year, fueling rumors of a Hannah Montana reunion before the special was confirmed.
—Grace McCarty, Glamour, 26 Mar. 2026
Many aspirants, like Yusuf, consider jars of skin lightening cream to be essential, along with access to exclusive gyms and going to the right hair salon.
—Taran Khan, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
How to treat melasma The best way to manage melasma is to use a skin-care routine that is right for your skin type, which includes skin-lightening ingredients like hydroquinone, tranexamic acid or niacinamide.
—Leslie Baumann, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Music plays a central role throughout the Amphibian Stage production, acting as a transition between scenes and lightening the drama.
—Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
Then the mixed snowboard cross teams were eliminated early, lightening the workload again.
—Alex Connor, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
This is about lightening your load before the eclipse ahead, not pushing through out of pride.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
Not the irony of having a skin-lightening condition (or predilection) while singlehandedly Blackening up the portals of pop music by integrating a music video network that upheld America's racist standard of (in)visibility.
—Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 3 June 2026
The overall vibe is quiet luxury—rich, polished, and well-maintained, without over-lightening the hair.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 24 May 2026
Cyrus has been subtly lightening her naturally brunette color over the last year, fueling rumors of a Hannah Montana reunion before the special was confirmed.
—Grace McCarty, Glamour, 26 Mar. 2026
Many aspirants, like Yusuf, consider jars of skin lightening cream to be essential, along with access to exclusive gyms and going to the right hair salon.
—Taran Khan, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
How to treat melasma The best way to manage melasma is to use a skin-care routine that is right for your skin type, which includes skin-lightening ingredients like hydroquinone, tranexamic acid or niacinamide.
—Leslie Baumann, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Music plays a central role throughout the Amphibian Stage production, acting as a transition between scenes and lightening the drama.
—Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
Then the mixed snowboard cross teams were eliminated early, lightening the workload again.
—Alex Connor, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
This is about lightening your load before the eclipse ahead, not pushing through out of pride.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightening
Verb
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Sunlight colors the water behind her, brightening a few strands of her hair.—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
-
The off-white wash feels especially fresh for spring, offering a softer alternative to stark white, while still brightening your wardrobe.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Barragán originally set out to find the man who scammed his mother by posing as a handsome American soldier, but now interrogates four of these young men, illuminating their psychological tactics, economic hardships and moral dilemmas.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
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Treble synths twinkle above bass tones, illuminating their gentle currents.—
Raphael Helfand,
Pitchfork,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Caught unprotected off the port of Saint-Nazaire, the ship was sunk by German planes, the attack lighting a resulting fuel spill.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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Design is modern and clean-lined—muted tones, patterned wallpaper, and enough art and lighting drama to feel fun without tipping into theme.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightening. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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