as in explaining
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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Recent Examples of deodorizing
An alkaline compound, baking soda is a non-toxic cleaner with a coarseness that works wonders for scrubbing grime, removing difficult stains, and deodorizing stinky odors.
—
Lauren David, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Lauren David, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deodorizing
Verb
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Therefore, telling the story in graphic form on behalf of Ukrainians themselves, explaining the preconditions for Russia’s attempts to erase Ukraine as a sovereign country and Ukrainians as an ethnic group, became extremely relevant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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Nicotine use had the strongest impact on heart health, explaining 34% of the link between late bedtime and heart disease.—
Dr. Joseph Wendt,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And that could be the difference between justifying a refinance application in today's economic climate or having to wait for the Fed to take action again later this year.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
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Who gets so far at work without thinking through — and long since justifying — the consequences?—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But there’s no excusing Josh Allen’s four turnovers.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
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This isn’t about excusing others for poor behavior.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But there’s no whitewashing its flaws.—
REBECCAH HEINRICHS,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Dec. 2025
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Meanwhile, House Republicans recently established a committee to reinvestigate the events of that day, forcing taxpayers to fund an apparent effort at whitewashing the riot and its causes.—
Bloomberg Opinion,
Twin Cities,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Such stretches have previously been eliminated by the NBA, with the exception of extenuating circumstances.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
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Executive producer and star of the film, Danielle Brooks, stuns with her performance as a mother trying to juggle it all and offers an honest portrayal of what happens when extenuating circumstances prevent closeness and warmth within a household.—
Dominique Fluker,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deodorizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deodorizing. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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