as in pale
lacking a healthy skin color
the shock of the news left him paled and shaking
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in faded
to make white or whiter by removing color
the sun eventually paled my bright blue shirt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of paled
Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
Wolff said the president paled at the idea of a presidential library (classic Reading Derangement Syndrome).
—Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Vitello got an appetizer of the rivalry during spring training when the Giants played the Dodgers twice during Cactus League play, but those exhibitions in Scottsdale and Glendale paled in comparison to the real deal in San Francisco.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
Her sophomore season was good by most standards, but paled in comparison to her freshman season.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2026
For many Saudis, this war has paled in comparison to the one which followed Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Ultimately, all of these explanations paled in comparison to the big one.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
The stakes paled in comparison to the 2024 NBA Finals, but Friday’s primetime showdown between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics carried a heightened sense of emotion for both teams.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
Torok’s photos were part of the administration’s effort to shape public opinion – though many commentators pointed out that those efforts have paled in comparison to past American war efforts.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
Verb
The hoopla surrounding Clark’s win paled in comparison to how the Rookie of the Year the following season chose to celebrate her moment.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
Wolff said the president paled at the idea of a presidential library (classic Reading Derangement Syndrome).
—Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Vitello got an appetizer of the rivalry during spring training when the Giants played the Dodgers twice during Cactus League play, but those exhibitions in Scottsdale and Glendale paled in comparison to the real deal in San Francisco.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
Her sophomore season was good by most standards, but paled in comparison to her freshman season.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2026
For many Saudis, this war has paled in comparison to the one which followed Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Ultimately, all of these explanations paled in comparison to the big one.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
The stakes paled in comparison to the 2024 NBA Finals, but Friday’s primetime showdown between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics carried a heightened sense of emotion for both teams.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
Torok’s photos were part of the administration’s effort to shape public opinion – though many commentators pointed out that those efforts have paled in comparison to past American war efforts.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paled
Adjective
-
All German Pilsner malt, super soft water profile like that in a Czech pale lager, and 100% US-grown hops with a touch of flaked corn.—
Blaine Callahan,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
Gwyneth, for one, wore a red collared jacket over a pale blue cotton maxi dress, styled with red sandals and black Wayfarers.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
As the sunlight faded on a cobblestone street, more than 200 students from New York University gathered at a table nearly as long as the city block.—
Susan Svrluga,
Washington Post,
6 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, the risks for ships and crew haven't faded.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
While disrupting the business of an American multinational company may seem a pallid response to the destruction of an Iranian primary school where more than a hundred children were killed, such asymmetric attacks in the physical and digital realms have been a feature of this conflict.—
Sue Halpern,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Out of the bloodstains shone a pair of bright blue eyes, and a heart was beating under the pallid skin that looked several sizes too big.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Fake plants and outdoor rugs tend to look worn and sun-bleached very quickly.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
1 May 2026
-
However, it should be noted that down should not be bleached or washed with fabric softener.—
Katie Cloyd,
Martha Stewart,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
According to a new study that analyzed a combination of satellite images, artificial nighttime lights have brightened Earth by 16% between 2014 and 2022.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
-
The filmmakers have lightened and brightened their source material to a kid-friendly degree — even the English countryside, as glisteningly shot by George Steel, has never looked less overcast.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paled. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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