PALES Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

pales 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of pale

as in fades

to make white or whiter by removing color the sun eventually paled my bright blue shirt

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pales

2 of 2

noun

plural of pale

as in fences

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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 pales

Verb

That still pales in comparison to the amount of BBLs women got in 2025 (over 25,000, while men only got 550), although neither figure includes injectables like Alloclae. — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 13 Oct. 2026 While the prevalence of carfentanil still pales in comparison to fentanyl, experts are nevertheless alarmed by the increase of a substance researched for years as a chemical weapon and deployed by Russian forces on Chechen separatists in 2002. — ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026 Being the offense’s engine is a completely different (and more challenging) assignment than being an off-ball threat, and while Knueppel might already be the best off-ball player in the league, the value of that role still pales behind that of a big, ballhandling wing. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026 The team’s turnaround still pales in comparison to what Oklahoma City or San Antonio has done, emerging as title contenders with MVP-caliber players anchoring their lineups. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 14 Apr. 2026 His county’s population has grown by roughly by 32% since 1990, which pales in comparison with statewide growth of 74%. — Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026 And the scale of this pullback still pales next to its 75% collapse during the 2021–2022 bear market. — Emily Nicolle, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2025 And for those who do manage to build a large emergency fund, the balance often pales in comparison to what a common medical procedure could cost, Volk said. — Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025 Chicago only has 10 cranes in the sky, which pales in comparison to other major cities. — James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pales

Verb

Together, these mechanisms paint a richer picture of why Orion's giant star fades and brightens.

— Joe Rao, Space.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Antonioni’s great innovation was that the story line fades away, along with conventional expectations about action, time, and dramatic resolution.

— Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of fades

Noun

The old names, Rebecca Lobo and Ray Allen, Breanna Stewart and Rip Hamilton, Maya Moore and Kemba Walker, to name only a few, hang on banners along the walls.

— Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 30 Oct. 2026
There’s an Acoustic Space setting that helps tame the bass-boosting effects of speaker placement near corners or walls.

— Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of walls

Verb

Today’s recipe Creamy, sweet dates soothe out the lemon in these bars, while the tart lemon brightens up the dates.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
The colorful evergreen foliage provides a warm winter welcome on porches and brightens containers throughout the landscape all year long.

— Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of brightens

Noun

Starting with a scene that feels real and looks real lets McKeown get away with what is otherwise a silly creature feature, elongated but never past the point of enjoyment.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
In darker environments, opening the aperture lets in more light.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of lets

Noun

The club aims to address barriers to its adoption, including production scale, processing compatibility and cost competitiveness.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2026
Sociologist Stulberg argues that despite substantial barriers, creatives and athletes are changing American culture through their contributions to arts, sports and politics, working to win the culture war for LGBTQ+ social justice.

— Gina Webb, AJC.com, 3 Nov. 2026