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
-
But eventually, the party fades, and the album turns inward.—
Maria Nenet Barrios,
Pitchfork,
18 June 2026
-
The app automatically filters content using quality scores derived from user behavior, so better-quality content is likely to rise to the top, whereas poor-quality content fades away.—
Jill Duffy,
PC Magazine,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
The route to the public park beyond is wide, and the lush green baseball field, next to woodlands, is complete with a batting cage, fences, and stands.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
-
Cows stand behind fences at Hooves and Feathers Petting Farm.—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
12 June 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
-
But beyond these consecrated walls, continuity may depend as much on action as faith.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
-
These walls, activated by shooting a switch, permanently block pathways for the remainder of the round, dynamically altering gameplay.—
Mike Stubbs,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
Hers was protected by a wide headpiece while a pink lipstick brightens her smile, her nails are painted in an ever-chic milky shade.—
Laura Scafati,
Vanity Fair,
20 June 2026
-
Niacinamide and vitamin E work to strengthen, vitamin C brightens, AHA exfoliates and smooths, and collagen peptides help reduce the appearance of fine lines while boosting elasticity.—
Claudia Fisher,
Parents,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Reaching out and sharing what’s going on lets in the light.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
7 June 2026
-
The other lets go of a red balloon.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The race was red-flagged, so crews could clean up the mess and inspect the barriers.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 June 2026
-
Lauzon also serves as a community engagement manager and designed the project to give emerging and underrepresented artists a place to sell their work without financial barriers.—
Ray Campos,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
Similarly, dense plants can act as hedges and also provide great privacy.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 June 2026
-
With stock indexes now holding more semiconductors than ever, perhaps this month's whipsaw has investors paying up for hedges.—
Oliver Renick,
CNBC,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pales. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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