as in to lighten
to become glad or hopeful
the glum soccer player started to brighten upon being told that his injury would not jeopardize his career
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Recent Examples of brighten
The blue-and-green floral pattern sits on a white background, brightening up a bedroom just in time for spring.
—
Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
Going farther west, however, brightens the sky even more and anywhere west of a line from approximately central Michigan, going south through east-central Kentucky to the Gulf Coast will be bathed in full daylight.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Red cabbage pairs especially well with acidic dressings like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, which also helps soften its slightly bitter edge and brighten its color.
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 24 Apr. 2026
Large windows brighten the entire space, giving it an easy, airy feel that makes even the simpler design choices land well.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brighten
Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
Going farther west, however, brightens the sky even more and anywhere west of a line from approximately central Michigan, going south through east-central Kentucky to the Gulf Coast will be bathed in full daylight.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Red cabbage pairs especially well with acidic dressings like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, which also helps soften its slightly bitter edge and brighten its color.
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 24 Apr. 2026
Large windows brighten the entire space, giving it an easy, airy feel that makes even the simpler design choices land well.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brighten
Verb
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Theoretically, that could help lighten the load for creative departments that are already bogged down with more detailed recruiting graphics, videos and photo shoots.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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But he was known also for an ever-ready smile, an unflappable temperament and unassuming demeanor, an ego-less willingness to pitch in to help other reporters on stories large and small, and a quirky sense of humor that lightened the stress of many a deadline.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The chickens slowly turn as glowing flames lap at their skin.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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ServiceNow, meanwhile, is doing everything right—almost every revenue and profitability metric glowed in its latest quarterly results—and yet shares took a 14% dive as the SaaSpocalypse fears loom.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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More recently, a growing domestic gas shortage — exacerbated by the halt in new drilling and worsened by the Iran war — has revived demand for Colombia’s own coal.—
Fabiano Maisonnave,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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While the attack on the press is underway, the authorities are also reviving old symbols of political repression.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brighten. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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