Definition of washed-outnext

washed out

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verb

past tense of wash out
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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of washed-out
Adjective
Numerous roads washed-out, collapsing down into the ground. — Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 26 Apr. 2026 Images incorporated into the mayor’s video showed washed-out or collapsed roads, a car stuck in floodwaters and raging waterways. — Sophia Tareen, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026 Intense flash flooding in towns like Wrightwood and Phelan in recent weeks caused devastating mudslides and washed-out roads, forcing people to be rescued by helicopter. — Zach Boetto, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026 The magic lies in its warmth, which prevents the face from looking washed-out. — María Diez, Vogue, 17 Nov. 2025 Images generally have washed-out colors and an overall dark tone. — PC Magazine, 25 July 2025 Lindsay’s nails cause the color of the nail bed to look half white and half red or brown, whereas Terry’s nails cause the nail bed to look mostly white or washed-out, per Cleveland Clinic. — Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 12 Nov. 2024 This shade leans totally into nude territory without being washed-out. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 July 2024 The picture is bright, though some high-contrast shots of silhouetted objects show slightly muddy or washed-out shadow details; the contours of a lioness against a sunset are slightly indistinct, while trees against a stormy sky are a bit too light. — PCMAG, 30 May 2024
Verb
Rainfall in the burn scar area has caused flash floods and mudslides that washed out roads and cut off communities. — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026 The rich, yet creamy, color pairs beautifully with fall neutrals and creates a softening contrast that makes skin look healthy and vibrant, rather than washed out and dull. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 18 Sep. 2026 The remains were found near Crystal Rapid, about 10 miles downstream from Phantom Ranch, one of the areas devastated by the August 29 deadly flash flood that washed out footbridges and campgrounds. — Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026 And in Laguna Beach, back-to-back storms have eroded the sand so much that a lifeguard station was tied to the shore to make sure it wouldn’t be washed out to sea. — Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Videos of the disaster showed people running before the floodwaters swallowed them up and washed out buildings and bridges. — Shristi Kafle, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 But globular cluster streams form deep inside their host galaxy, where they are washed out by brighter, more crowded starlight. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Alas, heavy rainstorms over that weekend washed out all plans. — Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 The river is particularly dangerous near Hazel Dell Parkway and 106th Street in Carmel, where fast-moving waters washed out a bridge, commissioners said. — John Tufts, IndyStar, 19 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for washed-out
Adjective
  • This embroidered quilt is the epitome of fall style with its warm background and mix of leaves in faded brown and golden hues.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The quasi-patriotic palette got contemporary edge from faded lines running through the red and dark navy stripes, which shifted between vertical and horizontal directions.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The media never tired of describing Sea Change as his great breakup record.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • For those who are tired of such narratives, the appeal of the show will be in its interpretive stagecraft, which is impressive and clever.
    — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Others fled the country entirely to escape persecution and to find new work as the economy collapsed.
    — Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Thirty-two houses in the park have collapsed into the Atlantic since 2020.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • L'Oréal Professionnel Absolut Repair Mask L’Oréal Professionel’s products are the ideal pick for hair that’s been bleached, heat-styled, or both, at a drugstore price.
    — Valeriya Chupinina, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Corals – which have been severely bleached along the entire Tanzanian coastline, and largely wiped out around Zanzibar – are being replanted, to try to grow new populations.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The United Nations said last week that more Ukrainian civilians were killed and wounded in the first eight months of 2026 than in the whole of last year.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This Uhura manages to make an emergency transport back to Enterprise, but Scotty is killed.
    — Joe Otterson, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Washing soda functions as a processing aid and is rinsed out before the straw becomes pulp, the organization said.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In the clip, the Traitors star rinsed off under an outdoor shower while wearing a colorful Speedo.
    — Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Windows are wide, sightlines are clear, and the palette is of pale stone, natural linens, and weathered cedar.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The actress wore a dress from the Lebanese designer’s resort 2027 collection, a pale lilac strapless dress with sheer chiffon fabric encrusted with a bevy of shimmering bugle beads.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Olivier tortured himself over her condition, remorseful and exhausted.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Among the items are discarded personal protective equipment, thermal insulation, electrical cabling, structural steel, rebar, loose soil, building concrete, and exhausted ion-exchange resins taken from water filtration networks.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Washed-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/washed-out. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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