whitened 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in white

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2
as in bleached

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Dissimilar Words

whitened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of whiten
as in faded
to make white or whiter by removing color years of sunlight had almost completely whitened the flag

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of whitened
Adjective
Rub a small amount of oil, like mayonnaise or vegetable oil, on the whitened area; natural oils should suffice. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
Pairs that make the cut are cleaned from the sole upward, disinfected inside and, in some cases, whitened under UV light before being put back into circulation. — ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026 My knuckles whitened against the steering wheel. — MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whitened
  1. white
  2. bleached
  3. faded
  4. waxen
  5. washed
  6. sallow
  7. purified
  8. waxy
Adjective
  • Black residents would represent 29% of the West zone's population, and white residents would represent 56%.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of thinking too hard about white port, maybe just enjoy it.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of white
Adjective
  • In the trailer, Paulson appeared in a blue jacket with scraggly blonde waves and bleached eyebrows—and, very possibly, a few prosthetics.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Spain’s talisman was Lamine Yamal, its nineteen-year-old right winger, who plays the game with bleached tips, implausible speed, and nonchalance, but its superego was Rodri, the team’s central midfielder and captain.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of bleached
Verb
  • Hogan had largely faded from the headlines since his reinstatement, continuing to prosecute mostly white-collar and financial crimes and winning his fair share of jury trials.
    — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The default setting also left colors looking faded, but raising the Saturation setting just a bit largely fixed that.
    — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of faded
Adjective
  • Instead, the moss’s telltale sign of woe is its glum, grayish hue, a waxen appearance that comes from ferns and algae that have crept over it.
    — Sabrina Imbler, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Dec. 2020
Definition of waxen
Adjective
  • Made from naturally breathable, skin-friendly, pre-washed linen, the quilt is designed to hold up for years while growing softer with every wash.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Aug. 2026
  • As the Cyclospora outbreak grows, experts recommend washing all fresh produce that hasn’t been pre-washed—not just lettuce.
    — Sarah Garone, HEALTH, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of washed
Adjective
  • The women looked terrible—bruised and sallow—and smelled even worse.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The colors are really sallow and kind of ugly.
    — Marah Eakin, Vulture, 14 May 2026
Definition of sallow
Adjective
  • Rather than requiring highly purified feedstock to make a specialized semiconductor material, manufacturers could potentially start with more abundant and less refined iron ore.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
  • It is derived from purified DNA fragments extracted most commonly from salmon, and sometimes from certain trout.
    — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 July 2026
Definition of purified
Adjective
  • Our clues to the density of forest canopies millions of years ago came from microscopic plant cuticles – the thin, waxy outer skin of leaves that can survive for millions of years in organic-rich sediments.
    — Regan E. Dunn, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But hot temps can turn them into a waxy mess before your eyes.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2026
Definition of waxy

Browse Nearby Words

whiten
whitened
whiteness
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Cite this Entry

“Whitened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whitened. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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