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
-
As his memory fades, Caroline must navigate the unimaginable.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
-
However, as the smell fades over time, so will its effectiveness in warding off mice.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Don’t doubt Riley and the Heat’s ability to swing for the fences.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Hanging a bar of soap is the simplest method and is ideal for gardens with trees, shrubs, and fences.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
26 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
-
Likewise, electrical conduits are hidden on the top of the beams and centered down the skylight to leave the focus on the old structure and new walls.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
-
Both rooms feature crown molding while the dining room also has walls with a shadow boxing detail.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The hue is deepening into richer, more golden tones, a shift away from the airy butter yellow that still brightens contemporary collections.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Another key element is the slouchy shoulder bag that brightens up the outfit without adding more bulk.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 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
-
Historian Marvin Dunn echoed that concern, describing a disconnect among younger Black people who did not live through — and in many cases were never deeply taught about — the violence, intimidation and systemic barriers that shaped earlier generations’ fight for the ballot.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 May 2026
-
Speakers like Brittany Taylor of Los Angeles Black Worker Center, pointed to disproportionately high unemployment rates among Black workers and described the reforms as a step toward addressing long-standing barriers to stable union city jobs.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
With year-round interest and a non-invasive root system, this compact tree can be shaped into a single-stem form or grown as a multi-stem clump for privacy hedges.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
4 May 2026
-
The museum has created a garden-like setting with romantic hanging florals, barriers of green hedges, pots of lavender and a carpet resembling mossy bricks.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pales. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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