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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of whitewash
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2026
Sterilized, whitewashed, controlled, censored – all those words apply.
—Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Katherine Lagrave, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025
Visit the whitewash beacon and adjacent lightkeeper’s house located at the Southern end of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whitewash
Verb
The island’s whitewashed, clifftop village offers romantic views of the Aegean Sea, and a steep, zig-zagging path climbs up the hillside to a church.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2026
Sterilized, whitewashed, controlled, censored – all those words apply.
—Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
Dating to around 1250, the small church was built of boulders and has since been covered with whitewash.
—Katherine Lagrave, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025
Visit the whitewash beacon and adjacent lightkeeper’s house located at the Southern end of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whitewash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whitewash
Verb
-
Don’t ignore it or joke past it.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The pope ignoring atrocities The papal mission appears to have overlooked a visit to Nigeria.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But don’t excuse Montgomery Steppe or Aguirre.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Cherfilus-McCormick has denied wrongdoing, excusing the allegations as an accounting error.—
Lauren Peller,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Vinyl vindication The event comes as spending on vinyl continues to climb, even as streaming has become the dominant format for music listening.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
-
As such, the museum serves as a space of historical vindication for an artist who struggled, rock hammer in hand, against mountainous odds.—
Tyehimba Jess,
ARTnews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While the weekend isn't looking like a washout, a few rounds of showers are likely across the state.—
Steven Sosna,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
On the other hand, cool‑season sod farmers usually grow Kentucky bluegrass, which germinates slowly compared to other turfgrass species, increasing the risk of washouts.—
Ryan Bearss,
The Conversation,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The wives must reconstruct their lives and forgive themselves for failing to stop their husbands’ vicious deeds.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The loan could be forgiven if the property ends up being transferred to a family member at no cost or low cost, Burns added.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The act of getting high no longer carries the same inherent tension, legal or otherwise, and the niche genre that stoner filmmakers once built around the drug has struggled to justify its own existence.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The Stones fired Jones in June 1969 but would have been justified doing so a couple years earlier.—
Marc Ballon,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Although the Mughals mainly incorporated the existing Indian revenue system, Akbar’s reign also saw the rationalization of revenue administration, notably under the Hindu minister Todar Mal, with systematic land measurement and assessment that balanced imperial income with agrarian stability.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Two at-odds facts can both be true, and all of us are susceptible to arrogance and self-serving rationalization.—
Carol Quillen,
Time,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Our own editors have run the gamut of unexpected setbacks abroad, including getting mugged and pickpocketed, as well as having their passports stolen.—
Michelle Baricevic,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
-
That setback, according to those who knew him well, wounded him—and transformed him.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whitewash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whitewash. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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