as in bleaches
to make white or whiter by removing color
years of sunlight had almost completely whitened the flag
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Recent Examples of whitens
According to Hill, good old-fashioned sunlight naturally kills bacteria, refreshes items, and whitens fabrics.
—
Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2026
Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whitens
Verb
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His owner, Hannah Gleason from Oklahoma, told Newsweek that the merle gene isn’t a coloring gene rather than a gene that bleaches the fur and causes lack of pigmentation which can lead to birth defects, blindness, deafness, or sometimes all three.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The notion of grief gradually fades into the backdrop, finally re-emerging in a manner that is, thanks to the film’s lumpy tonal mixture, more confusing than emotionally cleansing.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
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While being stuck at home for several days might feel fun and cozy at first, that novelty fades fast.—
Avery Newmark,
AJC.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Creative play brightens, and feelings gently soften as the Moon leaps into your 5th House of Affection.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Jan. 2026
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Seeking a vitamin C that brightens without irritation?—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whitens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whitens. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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