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
They’ve been accepted by the American Dental Association (ADA) as a safe and effective at-home whitening treatment—but their popularity doesn’t end there.
—
Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
Oxygen bleach soaks—Oxygen bleach (not to be confused with chlorine bleach) is a gentle yet powerful whitening agent.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Sometimes, manufacturers add preservatives or whitening agents.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
Following the success of its Strawberry Smile collaboration with Sanrio, Moon is teaming up again with Hello Kitty to launch a mint and chocolate-flavored collection, featuring a few of the beauty brand’s bestselling essentials, such as the whitening pen duo and toothpaste.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whiten
Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
Oxygen bleach soaks—Oxygen bleach (not to be confused with chlorine bleach) is a gentle yet powerful whitening agent.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Sometimes, manufacturers add preservatives or whitening agents.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
Following the success of its Strawberry Smile collaboration with Sanrio, Moon is teaming up again with Hello Kitty to launch a mint and chocolate-flavored collection, featuring a few of the beauty brand’s bestselling essentials, such as the whitening pen duo and toothpaste.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whiten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiten
Verb
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Without them, corals are ghostly white and bleached.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
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After the 2023 marine heat wave, many corals bleached and later died.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Mankinlu Maple Leaf Solar Pathway Lights As daylight starts to fade earlier, these cute pathway lights add both charm and function to your yard.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
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The Trail Blazers faded in the fourth quarter en route to a 118-114 loss to the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The hoisin sauce adds glossy sweetness and umami depth, while fresh ginger brightens things up.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Oct. 2025
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The SoCal spot is growing in popularity with a vibrant surf culture and mood-thawing weather to brighten up travelers’ winter days.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whiten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiten. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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