whitewash

1 of 2

verb

white·​wash ˈ(h)wīt-ˌwȯsh How to pronounce whitewash (audio)
-ˌwäsh
whitewashed; whitewashing; whitewashes

transitive verb

1
: to whiten with whitewash
a freshly whitewashed wall
a row of whitewashed cottages
"Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?"Mark Twain
2
a
: to gloss over or cover up (something, such as a record of criminal behavior)
refused to whitewash the scandal
In the years following the Nuremberg trials, there was an increasingly concerted effort to whitewash the record of the Wehrmacht, the armed forces of the Third Reich.Rob Zacny
b
: to exonerate (someone) by means of a perfunctory investigation or through biased presentation of data
… seemed to be trying to tell the full story without trying to whitewash the dictator or conceal his atrocities.Ronald Hingley
3
informal : to hold (an opponent) scoreless in a game or contest
He stopped 38 shots to shut out the Oilers on Feb. 9; 39 in blanking the Rangers on Nov. 12; and 45 in whitewashing the Avalanche on Oct. 30.Austin Murphy
4
: to alter (something) in a way that favors, features, or caters to white people: such as
a
: to portray (the past) in a way that increases the prominence, relevance, or impact of white people and minimizes or misrepresents that of nonwhite people
… touches obliquely on Jones' assertion that the mayor and other white city leaders want to "whitewash" the telling of our nation's civil rights struggles.Jeff Gauger
b
: to alter (an original story) by casting a white performer in a role based on a nonwhite person or fictional character
It was important to Jenny Han, author of the YA books To All the Boys I've Loved Before, that the film adaption would keep one key detail: that the lead character, Lara Jean, was Asian-American. In a new essay …, Han revealed that nearly every production company interested in adapting her best-selling book into a movie asked to whitewash it.Hunter Harris
The Hollywood screenwriter Max Landis has denied defending the casting of Scarlett Johansson in a "whitewashed" remake of the classic Japanese anime Ghost in the Shell.Ben Child
whitewasher noun
whitewashing noun
a wall that requires whitewashing
There shall be no whitewashing of Lizzie Eustace. She was abominable. Anthony Trollope
Including his Game 2 whitewashing of the A's, he'd allowed just three earned runs in his last 92 2/3 innings … Peter Gammons
In so many parts of the world, culture rooted in black communities has at one point or another faced attempts at whitewashing: Just look at all the buttoned-up white jazz ensembles that emerged across the United States in the early 20th century. Sebastian Modak

whitewash

2 of 2

noun

1
: a liquid composition for whitening a surface: such as
a
: a preparation for whitening the skin
b
: a composition (as of lime and water or whiting, size, and water) for whitening structural surfaces
2
: an act or instance of glossing over or of exonerating
3
: a defeat in a contest in which the loser fails to score

Examples of whitewash in a Sentence

Verb a book that tries to whitewash the country's past refused to whitewash the governor's chronic disregard for the truth
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Folks used it in a tragically defamatory manner to further a dangerous agenda of whitewashing American history and stifling Black experiences. Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2024 In 2022, Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican President Shannon Holsey also mentioned environmental issues, called for more critical thinking in classrooms and criticized bills that would whitewash Indigenous peoples’ history. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 Legislation that wants to do away with CRT is in my view whitewashing history and pushes a one-sided view to be taught in schools. Charlotte Observer, 8 Feb. 2024 Even as the atrocities committed by Hamas continued to be revealed in the days after its massacre of 1,200 people on October 7, too many in the media and on college campuses were eager to paint Israel as the aggressor and whitewash Hamas’ terrorist acts. Russell Schwartz, Orange County Register, 8 Feb. 2024 Carlson’s presentation of the interview has drawn intense criticism from independent Russian journalists who have called it a propaganda victory for the Kremlin and accused Carlson of whitewashing Putin’s crackdown on media and freedom of speech in Russia since the invasion. Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 7 Feb. 2024 Highlights include rustic hardwood floors throughout, numerous sets of French doors opening to the gardens, sweeping views and whitewashed wood-beam ceilings. James McClain, Robb Report, 25 Jan. 2024 This does not mean whitewashing the grievous stain of slavery on our history but does mean eliminating propaganda suggesting ours is a fundamentally bad country. Washington Examiner, 21 Nov. 2023 The estate’s whitewashed, tufa-stone home had been transformed into a 24-room boutique hotel, where a complimentary shuttle ushered guests to the beach. Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Feb. 2024
Noun
Given that the existing reports were subjected to multiple whitewashes, Weigold believes, the only way to reach a valid assessment of what happened on Alderney is to make comparisons to similar situations for which good records do exist. Rebecca Panovka, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 But victory was never really in doubt after Jadeja and Ashwin had crushed Australia's spirit with a whitewash seemingly an inevitably from here. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2023 After the Russia collusion fraud, the Steele dossier con, the misleading FISA requests for the Carter Page warrants, and the Robert Mueller whitewash of all of that, there are plenty of reasons for Americans to take a don’t-trust-but-verify attitude to the bureau. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2022 Even the ubiquitous gift registry, with its transparent whitewash, is giving way to the outright demand for money. Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2024 Griggs has photos of whitewash splashing halfway up the first row of windows. Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2023 The normalization of Florida’s slavery whitewash has been abetted by a supine press. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2023 The curriculum that Florida put forward was not a whitewash. Nbc Universal, NBC News, 30 July 2023 Limewash, a breathable and porous coating, adds texture and patina to brick, while whitewash is a slightly more opaque option. Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whitewash.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of whitewash was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near whitewash

Cite this Entry

“Whitewash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whitewash. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

whitewash

1 of 2 verb
white·​wash ˈhwīt-ˌwȯsh How to pronounce whitewash (audio)
-ˌwäsh,
ˈwīt-
1
: to whiten with whitewash
2
a
: to explain away or cover up
refused to whitewash the scandal
b
: to clear of a charge of wrongdoing by offering excuses, hiding facts, or conducting a careless investigation
accused the city council of whitewashing the mayor
3
: to prevent an opponent in a game or contest from scoring
whitewasher noun

whitewash

2 of 2 noun
1
: a mixture (as of lime and water) for whitening a surface
2
: a clearing or covering up of wrongdoing

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