as in disaster
something that has failed
the fashion designer's last showing was a complete washout
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to collapse
to be unsuccessful
most of the participants in the tough training program washed out
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2
as in to bleach
to make white or whiter by removing color
the bright lights of the TV studio washed out her facial features, making her look as white as a ghost
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to wear
to use up all the physical energy of
that last illness washed the child out completely
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of washout
The Wall Street Journal, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
He was thrust into a perennially dysfunctional environment in the nation’s most hyper-critical media market and won 13 of 38 starts before being dispatched to Carolina, a Big Apple washout at age 23.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
Evan Bush, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
The tree removal slowly upset the stability of the soil and the groundwater, eventually leading to the flooding that washed out the Harpers’ driveway, according to the family.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for washout
Noun
This comes amid a debate on the right over what themes to stress to avoid a GOP washout in November.
—The Wall Street Journal, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
He was thrust into a perennially dysfunctional environment in the nation’s most hyper-critical media market and won 13 of 38 starts before being dispatched to Carolina, a Big Apple washout at age 23.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
The observation window will be short, however, because once Orion swings all the way around the moon, the brightness of Earth will wash out any potential sightings of the moon dust.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
The tree removal slowly upset the stability of the soil and the groundwater, eventually leading to the flooding that washed out the Harpers’ driveway, according to the family.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for washout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for washout
Noun
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Use a bag bungee Trying to balance a travel tote on top of a rolling suitcase is a disaster waiting to happen, especially when navigating crowded terminals.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2026
-
When the smoke alarm stayed silent, one very loud dog made sure his family didn’t sleep through a disaster.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Demolition and recovery operations will resume Sunday morning at the site of the parking garage that partially collapsed this week in Grays Ferry.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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As bat populations have collapsed, farmers have turned to more expensive and less effective alternatives like pesticides.—
Leah Campbell,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Here, fabrics are scraped, scratched, patched, bleached, ripped and painted to signify the passage of time.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
20 Apr. 2026
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Once in a while, black flats compress the space, framing a single character’s face, bathed in a bleaching white light, as if their vulnerabilities were being scanned by an MRI.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Two men carried an effigy of Maduro, his eyes blood-red, and his teeth vampiric, wearing a prison jumpsuit with a chain around his neck.—
Diego Lasarte,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2026
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For accessories, Hathaway wore a set of pink gold Bulgari jewels, including a sparkly wrap bracelet, dangling earrings, and a red cocktail ring, according to InStyle.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Scrub the area with a nylon brush, then rinse with clean water.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Open the umbrella completely, and rinse it thoroughly with a normal garden hose.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The driver was arrested for operating while impaired and failure to stop and identify at a personal injury crash.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
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More recently, fans trying to buy tickets for major tours, like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, BTS, Bruce Springsteen, and Harry Styles have faced sky-high prices, system failures, and a lack of real alternatives.—
Letitia James,
Rolling Stone,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then doctors realized Gould's heart was failing.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Viva Supermarket failed a reinspection on Saturday, April 11 for similar violations.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The kind that organizations get judged on long after the applause fades.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Shapiro-Ikenberry led through most of the first half of the race before fading to seventh.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Washout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/washout. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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