wash out

verb

washed out; washing out; washes out

transitive verb

1

: to wash free of an extraneous substance (such as dirt)

2

a

: to cause to fade by or as if by laundering

b

: to deplete the strength or vitality of

c

: to eliminate as useless or unsatisfactory : reject

3

a

: to destroy or make useless by the force or action of water

the storm washed out the bridge

b

: rain out

the game was washed out

intransitive verb

1

: to become depleted of color or vitality : fade

2

: to fail to meet requirements or measure up to a standard

Synonyms of wash out

• collapse
• fail
• flop
• strike out
• fold
• fall short
• miss
• struggle
• fall flat
• lay an egg
• flame out
• come to grief
• come a cropper
• bomb
• tank

Examples of wash out in a Sentence

most of the participants in the tough training program washed out

the bright lights of the TV studio washed out her facial features, making her look as white as a ghost

Recent Examples on the Web

The library shots exhibit overexposure; the books on the shelves appear washed out and blown out, and are too bright. —Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 2 June 2026

This is not a one-time transition cost that washes out after a year of fresh data. —Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

On trash day, wash out garbage and recycling bins with bleach and water. —Emerson Latham, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 May 2026

The United Nations said in 1989 if global warming wasn’t stopped by 2000, entire nations could be washed out by rising seas. —Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for wash out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

washout

1 of 2 noun

wash·​out ˈwȯsh-ˌau̇t 

ˈwäsh-

1

a

: the washing away of earth (as from a road)

b

: a place where earth is washed away

2

: a complete failure

wash out

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)wȯsh-ˈau̇t, 

(ˈ)wäsh-

1

: to fade or cause to fade by or as if by laundering

2

: to exhaust the strength or energy

3

: to fail to measure up to a standard

4

: to destroy by the force or action of water

Medical Definition

washout

noun

wash·​out ˈwȯsh-ˌau̇t, ˈwäsh- 

: the action or process of progressively reducing the concentration of a substance (as a dye injected into the left ventricle of the heart)