as in to bleach
to make white or whiter by removing color
years of sunlight had almost completely whitened the flag
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Recent Examples of whiten
Dioxins are a chemical by-product of the bleaching process to whiten cotton, and they are associated with cancer and endocrine disruption.
—
Jenni Shearston, The Conversation, 20 Feb. 2026
The files include jokey exchanges and emails planning visits to Epstein properties, teeth-whitening appointments and shopping trips.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Mondelez has Forever Oreos, and Colgate has a product that can whiten teeth in a week.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
The files include jokey exchanges and emails planning visits to Epstein properties, teeth-whitening appointments and shopping trips.
—Jill Lawless, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whiten
Jenni Shearston, The Conversation, 20 Feb. 2026
The files include jokey exchanges and emails planning visits to Epstein properties, teeth-whitening appointments and shopping trips.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Mondelez has Forever Oreos, and Colgate has a product that can whiten teeth in a week.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
The files include jokey exchanges and emails planning visits to Epstein properties, teeth-whitening appointments and shopping trips.
—Jill Lawless, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whiten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiten
Verb
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Some vignettes had the grainy shading of excessive toner powder, while others were bleached out.—
Katherine Rochester,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2026
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Unicharm could already turn these materials into other hygienic products like toilet paper, but a new ozone treatment designed to bleach, sterilize, and deodorize the pulp is widening the possibilities even further.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The kind that organizations get judged on long after the applause fades.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Shapiro-Ikenberry led through most of the first half of the race before fading to seventh.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Her mother, Lianna Charles Moore, previously described her daughters as always laughing, smiling and brightening her family's day.—
Christina Fan,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Lush, vibrant and full of life, California Tropicals instantly brightens any space while adding fresh, feel-good energy.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whiten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiten. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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