as in to excuse
to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses
the propaganda film attempts to deodorize the dictator's history of human rights abuses
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deodorize
After finding the currency and reporting it, the crew cleaned and deodorized the bills and returned all of the loot to the homeowner.
—
Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 12 Aug. 2025
Start with a patch test on a small section of the rug.
To deodorize your rugs or carpet:
Vacuum the area before applying the mixture.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2025
Place a few pieces of orange peel into the garbage disposal to clean and deodorize.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2025
What’s the best way to clean pet stains from carpet?
For pet stains, Brown relies on the above method, but finishes with an enzymatic spray with a neutral pH to help eliminate odors and deodorize the carpet.
—Jennifer Beck Goldblatt, Architectural Digest, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deodorize
Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 12 Aug. 2025
Start with a patch test on a small section of the rug.
To deodorize your rugs or carpet:
Vacuum the area before applying the mixture.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2025
Place a few pieces of orange peel into the garbage disposal to clean and deodorize.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2025
What’s the best way to clean pet stains from carpet?
For pet stains, Brown relies on the above method, but finishes with an enzymatic spray with a neutral pH to help eliminate odors and deodorize the carpet.
—Jennifer Beck Goldblatt, Architectural Digest, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deodorize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deodorize
Verb
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It was announced by the Vikings head coach that McCarthy was excused due to being at the hospital with his fiancée to welcome the arrival of his baby boy.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
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Likewise, with cameras on the trains in Charlotte, the public could be excused for wondering why there wasn’t a more immediate response after the event.—
Chicago Tribune,
Twin Cities,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Here, Renzi explains how long the doc was in the works, why family members didn’t participate, and how Marco of all people helped Sheen to get off crack.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
13 Sep. 2025
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At a time when contentious words dominate our conversations—think insurrection and fascism and fake news and woke—the need for dictionaries to chronicle and explain language, and serve as its watchdog, has never been greater.—
Stefan Fatsis,
The Atlantic,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That explains why the two-perspective structure couldn’t be justified in an episode like this and exposes the weakness of the conceit in the first place.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
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The excitement may be justified, but so is the concern when regulatory structures fail to keep pace with demand.—
Lindsay O'Neill,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Radiation can also be used to palliate painful bone metastases, as well as chemotherapy.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2024
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Senior-home avatars who are designed to palliate dementia patients in their darkest days.—
Longreads,
Longreads,
12 Apr. 2024
Verb
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Protestors in Hong Kong applauded South Park for calling out public figures whitewashing the oppressive Chinese government, which would swiftly ban the show.—
Chris Yogerst,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Aug. 2025
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Culture must never be used to whitewash crimes or serve as a propaganda tool.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Maybe the nuns could be transformed into spa therapists at a wellness retreat and the toxin explained away as a surfeit of matcha.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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The idea sticks because the prize, limitless energy from tabletop hardware, is irresistible, and suppression narratives explain away the lack of mainstream acceptance.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deodorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deodorize. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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