verb · neutral
whiten
/ˈwaɪtən/WHIT·en
to make something white or whiter; to remove colour or stains; occasionally used figuratively to mean to make something clear
Examples
“They used a special paste to whiten the walls before painting.”
“Many toothpaste brands claim to whiten teeth.”
“The report did not try to whiten the company's past mistakes.”
Band 8 sentence
“While some firms try to whiten their image through PR, regulators demand substantive reform before public trust can be restored.”
Collocations
- whiten teeth
- whiten paper/wall
Word family
Common mistakes
They whitened up the teeth with powder.→They whitened the teeth with powder.
The company tried to whiten its past.→The company tried to whitewash its past.
Say it for a higher band
5make white→6clean→7+whiten
Synonyms
bleach
Easily confused
bleach
“They bleach old clothes to remove tough stains.”
Related words
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In -en
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