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
-
After the rogue’s gallery is introduced early on, nearly everyone except for Tim, Elliot, and Rebecca fades into the background, although delightfully, Emma Thompson nails her brief comedic role as a brusque solicitor handling George’s last will and testament.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
8 May 2026
-
This weekend, the moon fades toward last quarter, opening up darker skies with each passing night.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
The deadly breach underscores longstanding vulnerabilities at sprawling major airports, where perimeter fences meet federal standards but remain surprisingly easy to scale.—
Mead Gruver,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
But the two men have since mended fences.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
11 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
-
Instead of the usual intercontinental ballistic missiles, tanks and missile systems rolling across the cobbles of Red Square, Russia played a video of its military hardware in action on giant screens opposite the Kremlin walls.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
-
Choose a curtain that has similar colors to the walls, decor, or furniture to promote a cohesive feel.—
Macie Stump,
Southern Living,
10 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
-
The council also exempted from SB 79 areas that are close to a transit stop but violate the spirit of SB 79 because residents can’t walk to it easily because of barriers like canyons, freeways or a lack of sidewalks.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
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Educating women on maternal health matters is just one of the initiatives of the nonprofit that hopes to break down health access barriers in a tangible way.—
Allison Kiehl,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
The Spa While A Mandria doesn't have a standalone spa, guests can book treatments set to the soundtrack of gentle waves in one of the two open-air, beachside treatment rooms tucked into the rocks and surrounded by myrtle hedges and wild roses.—
Rebekah Peppler,
Travel + Leisure,
9 May 2026
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For example, boxwoods are a classic edging plant in formal gardens, where they are clipped into tidy hedges.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pales. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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