1
: an eye lotion
2
: misleading or deceptive statements, actions, or procedures
Examples of eyewash in a Sentence
He says he'll quit his job, but we know that's just eyewash.
Recent Examples on the Web
Under this legislation, private households would be required to provide eyewash stations if workers use bleach and could face fines up to $15,000 per safety violation.
—
Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2023
Not a single eyewash station.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2022
There’s a thin line between optimism and eyewash.
—Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 27 Oct. 2020
The company was also cited for not providing an eyewash station and for allowing workers to operate powered industrial vehicles in states of disrepair.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2022
The last recorded visit by an OSHA inspector to the Henson Company’s Creature Shop facility in Burbank — based on an entry scribbled on an eyewash station seen in a photo shared with The Hollywood Reporter — was in 2017.
—Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2022
Meanwhile, the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football leadership positions, has become toothless, modern-day eyewash.
—Bryce Miller Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2022
It was regularly infested with pigeons and other animals (which had to be wrangled out annually), and was outfitted with eyewash stations only in 2018, after numerous requests from various teams.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2021
The Sox were losing for the 11th time in 14 games, turning a five-game lead into a five-game deficit after giving us nothing more than a little eyewash at the trade deadline.
—BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2021
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Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2023
Not a single eyewash station.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2022
There’s a thin line between optimism and eyewash.
—Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 27 Oct. 2020
The company was also cited for not providing an eyewash station and for allowing workers to operate powered industrial vehicles in states of disrepair.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2022
The last recorded visit by an OSHA inspector to the Henson Company’s Creature Shop facility in Burbank — based on an entry scribbled on an eyewash station seen in a photo shared with The Hollywood Reporter — was in 2017.
—Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2022
Meanwhile, the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football leadership positions, has become toothless, modern-day eyewash.
—Bryce Miller Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2022
It was regularly infested with pigeons and other animals (which had to be wrangled out annually), and was outfitted with eyewash stations only in 2018, after numerous requests from various teams.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2021
The Sox were losing for the 11th time in 14 games, turning a five-game lead into a five-game deficit after giving us nothing more than a little eyewash at the trade deadline.
—BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eyewash.' 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
1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near eyewash
Cite this Entry
“Eyewash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eyewash. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
eyewash
noun
eye·wash
-ˌwȯsh 
-ˌwäsh
: an eye lotion
Medical Definition
eyewash
noun
eye·wash
ˈī-ˌwȯsh, -ˌwäsh
: an eye lotion
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