as in fades
to make white or whiter by removing color
the sun eventually paled my bright blue shirt
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Recent Examples of pales
Megan Feringa, New York Times, 30 Mar. 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
Verb
And in many lights, their budget still pales in comparison to City, Arsenal and Chelsea.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 30 Mar. 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
-
The animation is crisp and gorgeous, and there are a few moments of stylization — such as when the main character Coco floats in the air with her mentor Qifrey and the world around them fades from frame — that captures a taste of what makes the manga such a visual triumph.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Most regular solo diners say discomfort fades after the first few times trying it.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In one instance, a detainee escaped when there was no staff assigned to watch the perimeter fences.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Officials reinforced stay-at-home orders by erecting fences around some apartment buildings, essentially incarcerating occupants.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 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
Noun
-
My goal was to inspect calcium carbonate rocks, found near methane seeps at the base of the canyon walls, in search of methane-eating microbes.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Upgrades will require significant reinforcement of some walls and elevator shafts, though engineers have found ways to do the work by pouring new concrete footings and installing additional steel bracing without significantly impinging on internal spaces or being visible on exterior surfaces.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Now, as March brightens into April, the half-dozen lawmakers charged with crafting that gargantuan document are nearly finished.—
The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Lush, vibrant and full of life, California Tropicals instantly brightens any space while adding fresh, feel-good energy.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Federal police chased and targeted people randomly in public places like stores, shopping center parking lets, a church lawn and a country club and at times aimed their weapons at people or threatened them.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Dec. 2025
-
The federal government’s permissiveness toward this form of betting lets platforms operate nationwide without following state laws or tax rates—a potentially lucrative proposition that has gained venture capital backing while angering states and tribal groups.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
By simplifying adaptation and reducing technical barriers, the platform could broaden the use of eco-friendly drones across research and industry.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Apr. 2026
-
But the realities of that kind of AI takeover of Hollywood are hindered by multiple barriers to entry, including labor contracts, ongoing copyright questions and actual consumer interest.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Trim hedges and pull weeds from beds and cracks.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Trim overgrown shrubs and hedges.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pales. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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