1
as in fails
to be unsuccessful
most of the participants in the tough training program washed out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 washes out
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
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
-
The state’s latest energy plan fails to recognize and remedy this and portends a bleak, costly energy future, not to mention more pollution and higher health care costs.—
Anshul Gupta,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Holly added that any topic related to her wedding never fails to bring tears to her father's eyes.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Cyclops dons a more comic-accurate blue-and-yellow uniform, while Xavier wears a black-and-red X symbol on his gray jacket.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Plus, its crew neckline is the ideal base for statement necklaces, just like the chunky string of pearls that Seyfried wears throughout the movie.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Go with the classic Sun In Hair Lightener, enriched with aloe, marigold, chamomile, and flaxseed, or the newer Fun In by Sun In Temporary Hair Color, which rinses out after one wash.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Doing something that is sold as socially progressive, but ends up benefiting big-money donors, and then wrapping it up in so much regulation and taxation that the policy collapses under its own weight—how dysfunctionally California is that?—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Trump seems to imagine a hierarchical system dominated by a single capo whose removal collapses the organization—a model rooted in the 1980s.—
Javier Corrales,
Time,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Estevie’s voice resonates throughout that lush blend of cumbia-pop, and leaves an impression that lingers long after the music fades.—
Tere Aguilera,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Like all sugar rushes, the high fades fast and you’re left with a stomachache.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
During a final confrontation, all of this comes to light, Josephine accidentally shoots and kills Irvine family friend Colin (Jay Ellis), and Peter not-so-accidentally shoots and kills Josephine.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Lately though, claims about the practice have grown, with viral videos and content creators claiming that exposing your blankets to freezing temperatures kills bacteria, banishes allergens, and more.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Another agreed, comparing them to their Spanx AirEssentials set, but saying this one washes better.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
-
To start with a wedding, then wait ’til later to figure out the details of who washes the dishes and whether the toilet seat stays down, sounds backwards but is certainly better than hostage-taking and war without an achievable end.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Washes out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/washes%20out. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share