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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Finally, the nebula fades away and only a white dwarf is left behind.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Whitens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whitens. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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