1
as in faded
lacking intensity of color
washed-out blond hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tired
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness
feeling washed-out after the endless primary season, the party's nominee needs a vacation more than anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in collapsed
to be unsuccessful
most of the participants in the tough training program washed out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bleached
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in killed
to use up all the physical energy of
that last illness washed the child out completely
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in rinsed
to pour liquid over or through in order to cleanse
wash out your bathing suit in the sink
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of washed-out
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
Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 2 June 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
Momentum is neither extended nor washed out, which is actually fine at the early stage of a breakout retest.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 26 May 2026
Rain washed out qualifying Saturday, and the gray, overcast sky served as a fitting background for the somber mood enveloping Charlotte Motor Speedway and its 1½-mile track.
—Steve Reed, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
Starting lineup for Sunday’s Cup Series race Cup qualifying was washed out Saturday afternoon, and thus the starting lineup was set by the rule book.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 May 2026
On a recent late fall day, heavy rain had washed out a section of the access road, so the last stretch had to be done on foot.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
That change came after storms washed out the festival a couple of years ago.
—Kaicey Baylor, CBS News, 20 May 2026
Heavy light pollution washed out faint deep-sky objects like galaxies and nebulas, reducing contrast and making astrophotography far more challenging.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 15 May 2026
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
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
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
Momentum is neither extended nor washed out, which is actually fine at the early stage of a breakout retest.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 26 May 2026
Rain washed out qualifying Saturday, and the gray, overcast sky served as a fitting background for the somber mood enveloping Charlotte Motor Speedway and its 1½-mile track.
—Steve Reed, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
Starting lineup for Sunday’s Cup Series race Cup qualifying was washed out Saturday afternoon, and thus the starting lineup was set by the rule book.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 May 2026
On a recent late fall day, heavy rain had washed out a section of the access road, so the last stretch had to be done on foot.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
That change came after storms washed out the festival a couple of years ago.
—Kaicey Baylor, CBS News, 20 May 2026
Heavy light pollution washed out faint deep-sky objects like galaxies and nebulas, reducing contrast and making astrophotography far more challenging.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for washed-out
Adjective
-
Pinch Off Faded Flowers or Cut Back To ensure continuous production, Anna Ohler, the owner of Bright Lane Gardens, suggests pinching off any faded flowers, including the seed pod.—
Jane Kim,
The Spruce,
9 June 2026
-
The cream color pops against faded black jeans, as in Hudson’s outfit, but it can also be paired with blue denim, skirts, or linen pants.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 June 2026
-
The Ukrainian president also said the majority of Russians had grown tired of missile and drone attacks, inflation and fuel shortages, and were ready for peace.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Funded by the National Science Foundation, the film investigates evidence that Greenland’s ice sheet collapsed in the past and asks what that reveals about the planet’s future.—
Tarini Mehta,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
-
Crucially, the study found that a major sanctuary called Amyklai remained active after the palace collapsed, and later became important to both Spartans and Lakedaimonians.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
That chemistry is on full display among the Blue Devils, who have freshly bleached blond hair.—
Steve Reaven,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2026
-
The wheat straw was then cut into smaller pieces and pretreated to remove dust and other fine particles, and then bleached.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Footwear News,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Three people were killed and 20 more people were attacked by bears across at least nine prefectures between April and June 2, according to public broadcaster NHK.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Alabama's relatively new nitrogen gas execution method could inflict a cruel amount of pain and suffering on a death row inmate who says that he'd rather be killed by a firing squad, a federal appeals court has ruled.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
It’s made of all-weather plastic that can be rinsed to clean and won’t fade in the sun.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
-
Removable parts such as the grates can be rinsed with warm water.—
Maria Sabella,
The Spruce,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
One star is a pale orange and the other is a very distinct blue.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
-
Other signs include pale or yellow leaves all over, mushy stems, and visible fungus at the base of the plant.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
International cave-diving teams are navigating jagged, zero-visibility passages while weighing whether to guide the exhausted, untrained villagers underwater or wait for receding floodwaters, echoing dilemmas from Thailand’s 2018 cave rescue.—
Jintamas Saksornchai,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
Rice looked exhausted a few weeks back but returned to form as the season reached its climax.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Washed-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/washed-out. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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