bleach
1 of 2verb
ˈblēch 
bleached; bleaching; bleaches
transitive verb
1
: to remove color or stains from
2
a
: to make whiter or lighter especially by physical or chemical removal of color
bleach clothing
the sun had bleached her hair
b
: to remove, make dull, or sanitize as if by removing color
bleaches colonialism of its genocidal legacy
H. A. Giroux
H. A. Girouxintransitive verb
1
: to grow white or lose color
2
of coral : to expel symbiotic zooxanthellae exposing a white skeleton
bleachable
ˈblē-chə-bəl
adjective bleach
2 of 2noun
1
: the act or process of bleaching
2
: a preparation used in bleaching
3
: the degree of whiteness obtained by bleaching
Synonyms
Verb
- blanch
- blench
- decolorize
- dull
- fade
- pale
- snow
- wash out
- whiten
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb bones bleached white by the sun She bleached her hair blonde.
Recent Examples on the Web Alex Apatoff, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2022 Pastes typically contain mild abrasives like hydrated silica, sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate to polish and remove surface stains and/or low concentrations of the active teeth whitening ingredient hydrogen peroxide to bleach teeth. April Franzino, Good Housekeeping, 30 Aug. 2022 If that weren't devastating enough, ground-level smog, which contains high levels of ozone, can bleach our hair color, says Hammer. Jolene Edgar, Allure, 24 June 2022 The depot held clothing ready for export as well as drums filled with hydrogen peroxide, a chemical compound often used to bleach and dye fabric. New York Times, 7 June 2022 Benzoyl peroxide products should be used with caution as it is known to be a skin irritant when exposed to the skin for long periods of time and can bleach the hairline and clothes. Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 May 2022 All flours will bleach (i.e. lighten) over time with exposure to air. Carmen Collins, Country Living, 19 Apr. 2022 Spider mites suck the juices from leaf cells, causing leaves to bleach out. oregonlive, 13 Feb. 2022 For example, many people will bleach their skin in Jamaica and alter their appearance to look lighter. Stephanie Tharpe, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2022 Shepard Price, San Antonio Express-News, 22 June 2022 Make sure to first wash your hands and disinfect your tools with a 10% bleach solution. Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2022 To ensure your loofah is squeaky clean, soak it in a diluted bleach solution once a week for a few minutes. Joseph Deacetis, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2021 Dry equipment for at least five days or disinfect with hot water or a dilute bleach solution. Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 7 Dec. 2021 The same bleach solution can be used to wipe down counters and other work areas. Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 15 Nov. 2021 When cleaning your cutting boards afterward, rub them with salt or use a bleach solution to help remove stains. Cooking. Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2021 After the autopsy, Rose said, Whiteley’s body was washed with a bleach solution as a COVID-19 precaution. Dallas News, 22 Sep. 2021 Clean your seed and suet feeders at least once every two weeks by scrubbing them with soap and water and then soaking them in a 10% bleach solution. London Gibson, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Sep. 2021 See More
Verb
Sometimes, designers require to you to bleach your eyebrows and wear crazy outfits in the name of fashion. Alex Apatoff, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2022 Pastes typically contain mild abrasives like hydrated silica, sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate to polish and remove surface stains and/or low concentrations of the active teeth whitening ingredient hydrogen peroxide to bleach teeth. April Franzino, Good Housekeeping, 30 Aug. 2022 If that weren't devastating enough, ground-level smog, which contains high levels of ozone, can bleach our hair color, says Hammer. Jolene Edgar, Allure, 24 June 2022 The depot held clothing ready for export as well as drums filled with hydrogen peroxide, a chemical compound often used to bleach and dye fabric. New York Times, 7 June 2022 Benzoyl peroxide products should be used with caution as it is known to be a skin irritant when exposed to the skin for long periods of time and can bleach the hairline and clothes. Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 May 2022 All flours will bleach (i.e. lighten) over time with exposure to air. Carmen Collins, Country Living, 19 Apr. 2022 Spider mites suck the juices from leaf cells, causing leaves to bleach out. oregonlive, 13 Feb. 2022 For example, many people will bleach their skin in Jamaica and alter their appearance to look lighter. Stephanie Tharpe, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2022 Noun
Be sure to scrub off any debris before soaking in the bleach solution. Shepard Price, San Antonio Express-News, 22 June 2022 Make sure to first wash your hands and disinfect your tools with a 10% bleach solution. Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2022 To ensure your loofah is squeaky clean, soak it in a diluted bleach solution once a week for a few minutes. Joseph Deacetis, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2021 Dry equipment for at least five days or disinfect with hot water or a dilute bleach solution. Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 7 Dec. 2021 The same bleach solution can be used to wipe down counters and other work areas. Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 15 Nov. 2021 When cleaning your cutting boards afterward, rub them with salt or use a bleach solution to help remove stains. Cooking. Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2021 After the autopsy, Rose said, Whiteley’s body was washed with a bleach solution as a COVID-19 precaution. Dallas News, 22 Sep. 2021 Clean your seed and suet feeders at least once every two weeks by scrubbing them with soap and water and then soaking them in a 10% bleach solution. London Gibson, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Sep. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English blechen, from Old English blǣcean; akin to Old English blāc pale; probably akin to Latin flagrare to burn — more at black entry 1
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
1746, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
bleach 1 of 2
verb
ˈblēch
bleached; bleaching
: to make white by removing the color or stains from
bleach
2 of 2noun
: a chemical used for bleaching
bleach
verb
as in to fade
to make white or whiter by removing color bleached the stained shirt back to its original white Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- fade
- decolorize
- whiten
- brighten
- dull
- pale
- blench
- snow
- blanch
- wash out
- lighten
- dim
- matte
- silver
- mat
- whitewash
- frost
- matt
- etiolate
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- dye
- darken
- deepen
- shade
- discolor
- pattern
- pigment
- marble
- stain
- streak
- paint
- tarnish
- blacken
- blotch
- spot
- embrown
- stripe
- color
- tint
- striate
- daub
- speck
- polychrome
- speckle
- polish
- shine
- tincture
- tinge
- mottle
- fleck
- splotch
- dapple
- checker
- burnish
- variegate