bleached; bleaching; bleaches
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. Giroux1
: to grow white or lose color
2
of coral
: to expel symbiotic zooxanthellae exposing a white skeleton
1
: the act or process of bleaching
2
: a preparation used in bleaching
3
: the degree of whiteness obtained by bleaching
Synonyms
Examples of bleach in a Sentence
Verb
bones bleached white by the sun
She bleached her hair blonde.
Recent Examples on the Web
Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 3 Feb. 2025
Earle, 24, rocks some of her boldest glam looks yet in the images with her platinum blonde hair done up with Brigitte Bardot-level volume and her eyebrows bleached to barely there status.
—Michelle Lee, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025
Larry Stansbury, Essence, 10 Feb. 2025
Wear gloves when working with bleach, and use tongs when taking items in and out of boiling water.
—Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for bleach 
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Verb
While downloading the compatible app is not a must, this will definitely unlock even more personalization and options (like pro modes for hair that’s colored, bleached, thinning, thick, and beyond).
—Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 3 Feb. 2025
Earle, 24, rocks some of her boldest glam looks yet in the images with her platinum blonde hair done up with Brigitte Bardot-level volume and her eyebrows bleached to barely there status.
—Michelle Lee, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
This step removed any residual bleach while restoring the hair’s natural balance.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 10 Feb. 2025
Wear gloves when working with bleach, and use tongs when taking items in and out of boiling water.
—Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for bleach
Dictionary Entries Near bleach
Cite this Entry
“Bleach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bleach. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bleach
1 of 2 verb1
: to remove color or stains from
2
: to make whiter or lighter
3
: to grow white : lose color
bleach
2 of 2 noun1
: the act or process of bleaching
2
: a chemical used in bleaching
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