as in bleaching
to make white or whiter by removing color
years of sunlight had almost completely whitened the flag
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Recent Examples of whitening
With snow whitening the field and wind whipping through the air all afternoon, Lindsey completed 18 of 24 passes in a safe diet of screen plays and out routes for 90 yards.
—
CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025
There may be extra charges for things like gum contouring, laser reshaping, temporary veneers or replacements, whitening or polishing sessions, and upgrades or re-scans of materials.
—William Jones, USA Today, 24 Nov. 2025
His hair was long, the light of the laptop whitening his eyes.
—James Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Plus, score savings on best-selling teeth whitening strips.
—Isabel Garcia, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for whitening
CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025
There may be extra charges for things like gum contouring, laser reshaping, temporary veneers or replacements, whitening or polishing sessions, and upgrades or re-scans of materials.
—William Jones, USA Today, 24 Nov. 2025
His hair was long, the light of the laptop whitening his eyes.
—James Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Plus, score savings on best-selling teeth whitening strips.
—Isabel Garcia, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for whitening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whitening
Verb
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Some dishwasher tablets include bleaching agents and rinse aids that can keep your clothes from cleaning properly or even stain them.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
28 Nov. 2025
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More than that, the YouTuber decided to rid her face of eyebrows, bleaching the hairs above her eyes to match the hue of her hair.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Data Privacy Week is one of those calendar moments that risks fading into the background.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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The oil’s powerhouse formula has a number of benefits, including brightening skin and fading age spots.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whitening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whitening. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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