1
as in to ignore
to dismiss as of little importance
refused to whitewash the governor's chronic disregard for the truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to excuse
to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses
don't try to whitewash your rudeness by claiming that you were having a bad day
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in vindication
Related Words
2
as in washout
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whitewash
Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 July 2025
Liberal Ted Garcia is a slick political phony — a cartoonish whitewash of actual government authoritarians (Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Andrew Cuomo, etc.).
—Armond White, National Review, 23 July 2025
Nicky Swallow, Travel + Leisure, 19 Aug. 2025
Inside a former patio-furniture store, a cedar-shingled building with oak floors and whitewashed interiors, was a pop-up craft activity to keep kids busy, while oysters and Champagne sat on ice for later in the day.
—Stephanie Krikorian, Curbed, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whitewash
Verb
With a professional tour record of 6–0 over Australian sides, the Lions now aim to secure a 3–0 series whitewash on Australian soil for the first time since 1974.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 July 2025
Liberal Ted Garcia is a slick political phony — a cartoonish whitewash of actual government authoritarians (Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Andrew Cuomo, etc.).
—Armond White, National Review, 23 July 2025
Noun
Small, whitewashed villages dot its coast, with Santa Marina serving as the central hub—and the best place to hire a boat for exploring by sea.
—Nicky Swallow, Travel + Leisure, 19 Aug. 2025
Inside a former patio-furniture store, a cedar-shingled building with oak floors and whitewashed interiors, was a pop-up craft activity to keep kids busy, while oysters and Champagne sat on ice for later in the day.
—Stephanie Krikorian, Curbed, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whitewash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whitewash
Verb
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That many in the media have ignored the unit’s rise is an indictment.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Amid all its glorious and aesthetic architecture lies the massive environmental impact that cannot be ignored.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But that legal reality shouldn’t excuse the behavior.—
Matt Germer,
Oc Register,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Listening to these women fawn all over Julia for carrying the laird’s child, for carrying a future king, listening to them excuse away Julia being unmarried, all of it makes Davina blow a fuse.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
When those goals were eventually met, the pay package delivered Musk tens of millions of dollars in options—at once a win for him and a vindication for Tesla shareholders who had seen their stock multiply.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Hezbollah persisted until Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000—a moment of celebration and vindication for Hezbollah, and for Iran, a sign that the Hezbollah model held promise elsewhere.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The storm also left people trapped in seven vehicles on nearby roads after overflowing creeks caused washouts, deputies said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Because of semaglutide's long washout period, treatment should also be stopped at least two months before a planned pregnancy.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For many couples, infidelity is a nonnegotiable breach of trust, never to be forgiven.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Nobody is going to forgive it or pay it for us.—
Letters to the Editor,
Oc Register,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That explains why the two-perspective structure couldn’t be justified in an episode like this and exposes the weakness of the conceit in the first place.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The excitement may be justified, but so is the concern when regulatory structures fail to keep pace with demand.—
Lindsay O'Neill,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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There has been a lot of finger pointing, blame and rationalization from all sides, but the silver lining for travelers is that with Vegas visitation down, whatever the reasons, the city is starting to roll out travel deals, even on the Strip, were hotels have been resistant to package discounts.—
Larry Olmsted,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The days of superstitious rationalizations were over, and any losing Cubs team in the future would have to instead look in the mirror.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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For the next three years, early intervention programs — including reading, music and speech therapy — helped monitor Ness' children, looking for possible cognitive or learning setbacks.—
Jeff Truesdell,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
For Ruben Amorim, the setback left a lasting impression, with Altay Bayindir selected in the first three Premier League games.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whitewash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whitewash. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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