The bleaks of the city — empty billboards, shuttered shops, and cracked sidewalks — told a story no one wanted to hear.

She felt the bleakness of the landscape press against her like a cold hand.

She stared at the bleak fabric, its washed-out threads nearly devoid of color.

The heron scooped a silvery bleak from the shallow stream, its scales flashing in the morning light.

The poet's newest collection confronts the bleaknesses of modern life with tender honesty.

Researchers observed a school of Danube bleak near the riverbank at dawn, their silvery scales flashing in the pale light.

A sudden drop in temperature caused many Danube bleaks to seek deeper waters.

She smiled bleakly as she watched the lights go out across the town.

After the factory closed, that town experienced its bleakest winter on record.

As winter dragged on, the cheerful town began to bleaken, its colorful banners dulled by frost.