washing-out 1 of 2

adjective

as in failing

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washing out

2 of 2

verb

present participle of wash out
1
as in collapsing
to be unsuccessful most of the participants in the tough training program washed out

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bleaching
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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3
as in wearing
to use up all the physical energy of that last illness washed the child out completely

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4
as in rinsing
to pour liquid over or through in order to cleanse wash out your bathing suit in the sink

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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 washing-out
Verb
Many astronomers concluded that big black holes dotted the universe, washing out the light of the stars in their host galaxies. — Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026 The scalp scrubs that made our final list lathered well and did a good job of washing out fully, no matter the size of the exfoliating particles. — Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2026 Rain postponed the start of play, washing out the entire morning session and much of the second. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 The area has already be hit hard, with floodwaters washing out roads and causing evacuation of homes. — Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2026 The downpour knocked out power to nearly 4,000 residents and caused significant structural damage to infrastructure, including washing out sections of Highway 52 near Hancock Drive. — Rashad Williams, CBS News, 29 July 2026 Chief among the dangers is climate change that has led to rising seas and erosion washing out oystercatcher nests. — Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026 From choosing different mulch to planting ground covers, read on to learn how to stop mulch from washing out of your flower beds once and for all. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 July 2026 Then came this spring’s historic and devastating floods across northern Michigan — in some areas, for the first time anyone can remember — swamping homes, pushing dams to the brink of failure and washing out roadways. — Tammy Webber, Fortune, 23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for washing-out
  1. failing
  2. collapsing
  3. bleaching
  4. wearing
  5. rinsing
  6. folding
  7. striking out
  8. fading
Adjective
  • The World Bank, International Monetary Fund and International Criminal Court, which all got failing grades in last year's survey, saw the biggest gains.
    — Andrea Shalal, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.
    — Noah Alcala Bach, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Jan. 2026
Definition of failing
Verb
  • The possibility -- even likelihood -- of some rickety old thing collapsing under me never occurred to me.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Whether Merz can stabilize his chancellorship and prevent his reform program from collapsing midstream is a question whose outcome may soon become clear.
    — , CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of collapsing
Verb
  • The researchers first treated the cotton with sodium dithionite, a reducing agent, before bleaching it with hydrogen peroxide under alkaline conditions.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Discoloration to Your Driveway Commercial weed killers can stain driveways by leaving behind white chalky residues, bleaching the stone, or damaging protective surface sealers.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 31 July 2026
Definition of bleaching
Verb
  • Reinhart’s character, Olive Smith, is primarily seen wearing her lab coat, but outside of the laboratory, she is dressed in red, blue and green outfits.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
  • At the show, guests including Meadow Walker, Space Afrika and King Princess were spotted wearing a new collaborative Speedcat in all-black.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of wearing
Verb
  • Take an extra beat (and a bit of water) to emulsify the formula before rinsing it off for a thorough cleanse.
    — Sarah Han, Allure, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Prepare the sprouts for storage by rinsing and draining the sprouts thoroughly, then laying them out on a dish towel to dry for an hour or so.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of rinsing
Adjective
  • Apple already offers this feature on non-folding iPhones, but those devices must be plugged in and propped up on their side.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
  • During the event, Ternus also introduced the latest version of the company’s non-folding smartphone, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which start at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of folding
Verb
  • King set the tone by striking out probable NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong with the first three pitches.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The lefty allowed just the one run and three hits while striking out six.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of striking out
Verb
  • Long before the Ellisons arrived on the scene, Pluto’s star had started fading as rivals Tubi and Roku became more popular.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The film’s cast is mostly made up of tribal non-actors, but Anghlong Konyak is its captivating center, as a man whose stubbornness against change sits alongside a lingering grief over his fading way of life.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of fading

Browse Nearby Words

washing one's hands of
washing-out
washing out
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Cite this Entry

“Washing-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/washing-out. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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