1
as in fails
to be unsuccessful
most of the participants in the tough training program washed out
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bleaches
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 wears
to use up all the physical energy of
that last illness washed the child out completely
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of washes out
However, when rain washes out the snowpack or a healthy snowpack doesn’t form, water in the soil can later freeze – as can mycorrhizal fungi.
—
Aimee Classen, The Conversation, 16 Feb. 2026
While the midnight sun washes out celestial colors during summer in places like Alaska and Finland, the Midwest's summer nights stay dark enough to enjoy the dancing ribbons in a T-shirt and shorts.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Sky glow happens when light reflects off haze and dust particles in the air, creating a diffuse glow that washes out the night sky.
—Harold Wallace, Space.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Aimee Classen, The Conversation, 16 Feb. 2026
While the midnight sun washes out celestial colors during summer in places like Alaska and Finland, the Midwest's summer nights stay dark enough to enjoy the dancing ribbons in a T-shirt and shorts.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Sky glow happens when light reflects off haze and dust particles in the air, creating a diffuse glow that washes out the night sky.
—Harold Wallace, Space.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for washes out
Verb
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The Nuggets’ season will go up in smoke if Gordon fails to provide an edge, toughness, defense and slow-heartbeat 3-pointers.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2026
-
If the software fails, there is nothing for a passenger to grab.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His owner, Hannah Gleason from Oklahoma, told Newsweek that the merle gene isn’t a coloring gene rather than a gene that bleaches the fur and causes lack of pigmentation which can lead to birth defects, blindness, deafness, or sometimes all three.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The tulle veil, sheer elbow gloves and Manolo Blahnik shoes Pidgeon wears while walking down the aisle are all authentic, too.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
-
This may get bumped up a spot if Cuba wears its red pants.—
Johnny Flores Jr,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The pH-balanced formula effectively lifts away makeup, bacteria, and daily buildup, then rinses off easily without leaving residue behind.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Bluff collapses, sometimes caused by natural erosion, are not uncommon in north San Diego and along beaches in North County.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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The game between Dallas and the Columbus Blue Jackets is postponed by the NHL after Stars forward Rich Peverley collapses on the bench during the first period.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As Henry’s memory fades, Caroline must navigate the unimaginable journey of losing her lifelong partner while finding strength in a new friendship.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Miami outscored Brooklyn 33-23 in the final period, the kind of quarter where the floor opens up, rotations soften and playmaking becomes easier as competitiveness fades down the stretch.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nothing kills a trip faster than showing up to a locked gate with a camera in hand.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 2026
-
In the game, when a player kills multiple opponents without also dying, they are rewarded with the ability to conduct a missile strike to exterminate an opposing team.—
Casey Ryan Kelly,
The Conversation,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And believe me, a person who receives warmth, love, and care from us—who washes and styles their hair—is someone who walks back into the world feeling confident, inspired, and ready to spread kindness further.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
24 Feb. 2026
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The meaning of consciousness is immersion in multitudinous flowing tastes, olfactory rumors, vibrations, racing to understand before the ocean washes them away, these sensations like spherical and syncopated waves crashing against her hundred tentacles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Washes out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/washes%20out. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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