as in fades
to make white or whiter by removing color
the sun eventually paled my bright blue shirt
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Recent Examples of pales
Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026
And the scale of this pullback still pales next to its 75% collapse during the 2021–2022 bear market.
—Emily Nicolle, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2025
And for those who do manage to build a large emergency fund, the balance often pales in comparison to what a common medical procedure could cost, Volk said.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025
Chicago only has 10 cranes in the sky, which pales in comparison to other major cities.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Applebee’s recently managed its first quarter of same-store sales growth after eight consecutive declines, a faint improvement, but one that pales in comparison to the surge at Chili’s or the steady gains at Olive Garden.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
His county’s population has grown by roughly by 32% since 1990, which pales in comparison with statewide growth of 74%.
—Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026
And the scale of this pullback still pales next to its 75% collapse during the 2021–2022 bear market.
—Emily Nicolle, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2025
And for those who do manage to build a large emergency fund, the balance often pales in comparison to what a common medical procedure could cost, Volk said.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025
Chicago only has 10 cranes in the sky, which pales in comparison to other major cities.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Applebee’s recently managed its first quarter of same-store sales growth after eight consecutive declines, a faint improvement, but one that pales in comparison to the surge at Chili’s or the steady gains at Olive Garden.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pales
Verb
-
Finally, the nebula fades away and only a white dwarf is left behind.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
City of London skyline with 20 Fenchurch Street, affectionately nicknamed the Walkie Talkie as light fades at dusk on 27th November 2025 in London, United Kingdom.—
Hugh Leask,Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That is due to both the new additions and the club’s decision to move the outfield fences in at Kauffman Stadium.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
10 Feb. 2026
-
On Thursday, the city’s Historic Preservation team presented a draft to the neighborhood showing what a conservation district would look like, including design guidelines for new construction and renovations, trees, yards and fences.—
Kamal Morgan
February 7,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
Noun
-
Oval holes in the walls once held lamps to light the street after dark.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
-
On the walls and propped up against the room’s perimeter are frames and presentation boards.—
April Quevedo,
jsonline.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The rich brown shade imparts barely-noticeable color that subtly brightens my gaze, while lifting and separating each lash with just a few swipes.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Toasted pecans add a satisfying crunch against the soft, pillowy rolls, and the tangy cream cheese icing brightens every bite.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Federal police chased and targeted people randomly in public places like stores, shopping center parking lets, a church lawn and a country club and at times aimed their weapons at people or threatened them.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Dec. 2025
-
The federal government’s permissiveness toward this form of betting lets platforms operate nationwide without following state laws or tax rates—a potentially lucrative proposition that has gained venture capital backing while angering states and tribal groups.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Skip thin plastic mulches and cheap fabrics and use shredded leaves, wood chips, cardboard, or durable, reusable barriers.—
Dr. Avishesh Neupane,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Paying visitors were forced to take cover when some tourists stood behind the barriers and flung coins down on them from above.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Cleyera offers low-maintenance structure and color for borders, hedges, and containers.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Reshape overgrown and out-of-bounds plantings including hedges.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pales. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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