white as a sheet

Idioms

Very pale in the face, as in She was white as a sheet after that near encounter. This simile, dating from about 1600, survives despite the fact that bedsheets now come in all colors.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One of Packer's former partners told the murder trial that he was "white as a sheet" after the second interview.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2024

Eventually, Elizabeth’s face is as white as a sheet.

From Washington Post • Dec. 13, 2018

When he leaves, Frederic sits down next to me, white as a sheet.

From The Guardian • Apr. 4, 2016

I attempted to pose this very scenario to one of my granddaughters for her suggested counsel, but she just turned white as a sheet and fled from the room, the poor thing.

From New York Times • Feb. 17, 2014

Thorn just nodded, but her face was white as a sheet.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023