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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whiten
Your next tooth-whitening and repairing substance might well be a new powder developed by Shanghai researchers.
—
New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2026
One of the presoak methods is more effective in whitening dingy socks.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 13 Jan. 2026
According to Hill, good old-fashioned sunlight naturally kills bacteria, refreshes items, and whitens fabrics.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2026
Considering our snow cover will be washed away after Friday's rain, Tuesday's storm will be our last chance to whiten the ground before Christmas.
—Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whiten
New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2026
One of the presoak methods is more effective in whitening dingy socks.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 13 Jan. 2026
According to Hill, good old-fashioned sunlight naturally kills bacteria, refreshes items, and whitens fabrics.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2026
Considering our snow cover will be washed away after Friday's rain, Tuesday's storm will be our last chance to whiten the ground before Christmas.
—Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whiten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiten
Verb
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Fierce sunlight bleaching the stones of the old city, blinding the passengers as porters in white kaffiyehs and djellabas stack their portmanteaus on donkey carts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Feb. 2026
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The critiques were heard, Murphy told Newsom; Pidgeon, a brunette then wearing a wig, was ultimately forced to bleach.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When Dreher wrote The Benedict Option, during the Obama presidency, his primary concern was how to keep faith alive at a time when Christianity seemed to be fading away.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
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Relationship endings are possible under this influence — don’t insist on forcing a connection that’s trying to fade.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Her ability to observe and relate her observations and insights with clarity brightened the pages of various publications over many years.—
Lisa Boone,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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With Demna‘s first runway show for Gucci only a few weeks away, sentiment seems to be brightening around prospects for Kering‘s linchpin luxury property, which accounts for 39 percent of group sales.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whiten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiten. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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