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

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 Applebee’s recently managed its first quarter of same-store sales growth after eight consecutive declines, a faint improvement, but one that pales in comparison to the surge at Chili’s or the steady gains at Olive Garden. — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pales

Verb

Community organizations spent decades cultivating wealthy baby boomer donors, and so that connection fades with each generation removed from the original donors.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026
Its manganese spins continue fluctuating in preferred directions after long-range magnetic order fades.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of fades

Verb

Martin uses a color extractor to remove existing dye, then bleaches the hair (except the gray roots) to get it as light as possible.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of bleaches

Noun

The aerospace company, led by Elon Musk, struck a deal to acquire a nationwide low-band spectrum that will advance Starlink’s wireless capabilities by enabling the signal to pass through walls and other obstacles.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
This can build walls of water -- potentially as tall as 20 feet or more -- which can quickly overpower barriers and flood homes.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of walls

Verb

The star brightens again when the spots rotate back out of view.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026
White wine brightens without dominating the flavors, whole milk adds richness while helping tenderize the beef, and a pinch of nutmeg adds subtle warmth.

— Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 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

All suites on the second floor come without steps and barriers (and spacious bathrooms but not specifically adapted with accessibility features).

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Compliance checks would ensure trading entities maintain informational barriers with their sibling exchange, including the use of separate physical offices.

— Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of barriers

Noun

On the one hand, the buildup in hedges seen in the put/call ratio of QQQ suggests selloffs would be met with support as hedges turn to profit.

— Oliver Renick, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
They were set up in nondescript suburban homes, often shielded by hedges or fences.

— Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026