brighten

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brighten The pastel colors brightened my desk and made writing tasks more enjoyable, and no teacher likes a rough pen. Jacquelyn Smith, Parents, 3 Feb. 2025 Maybe a change of scenery would brighten the mood and give everyone a fresh(-ish) start going forward. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025 Small gestures like sending a thoughtful text message or a handwritten card can brighten their day and remind them that they are cared for. Julie Scott, Msn, Anp-Bc, Aocnp, Verywell Health, 27 Jan. 2025 The set comes with 24 pairs of patches that are formulated with hydrating ingredients to brighten under eyes. Isabel Garcia, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for brighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brighten
Verb
  • To be fiscally prudent, the government should not lighten taxes on capital as a means of trying to boost productivity.
    Matthew J. Slaughter, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
  • The utility believes additional connections will help lighten the average load for ratepayers by spreading the system’s costs among more customers.
    George Avalos, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Specifically, the neutrino bumped into some matter and created another type of tiny particle called a muon, which in turn set off a glowing wave of blue photons that the detector could see.
    Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025
  • Look at it full and glowing through the window (on All Hallows’ Eve, no less!), and the night so beautifully full of screaming.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Days after the presidential election, Ms. Hochul revived the toll, which is charged on vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street.
    Stefanos Chen, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Also under that umbrella is Scott Stuber, who after building the Netflix film output was brought in to revive United Artists.
    Justin Kroll, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Brighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brighten. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.

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