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
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
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
-
Jeans then usually go through finishing treatments to create different shades, fades and distressed textures.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
-
Its effectiveness fades quickly outdoors, so combining methods works best.—
Melissa Epifano,
The Spruce,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
The plan is to invest in building and equipment upgrades like fences, bulletproof glass and video recording systems as well as fund more safety officers and their training, according to budget documents.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
-
Police try to hold the line as protesters push the fences outside the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark on Saturday, May 30, 2026.—
Mark Prussin,
CBS News,
31 May 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
-
Designed in dreamy pinks (walls included) with bold color accents and breezy, indoor-outdoor living, the space keeps things fun without sacrificing comfort.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
31 May 2026
-
His portrait, stern and majestic, hangs broodingly over the stairs; elsewhere on the walls, the art ranges from the Baroque to the bro-tinged, with turbaned figures sharing space with Ryu from Street Fighter.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Niacinamide brightens and balances, while collagen, squalane, and adenosine work together to contribute to a hydrated, bouncier-looking complexion.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
27 May 2026
-
Rae says a milky white or soft ivory shade brightens the overall appearance of the foot, while still feeling understated.—
Morgan Fargo,
Vogue,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
The other lets go of a red balloon.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
So using these as natural barriers obviously has an enormous significance — enormous importance.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
6 June 2026
-
The department is also advancing plans for the South Delta Gates project, which would replace the temporary rock barriers with permanent operable gates.—
Reeti Malhotra
June 5,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
But derivatives are where much of the institutional market now expresses risk, hedges exposure, prices volatility, and manages leverage.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Reshape blueberry shrubs and hedges and prune blackberries.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pales. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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