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
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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
Glenn Garner, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
The mural was whitewashed over in August 2019, covering the artwork.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 10 Sep. 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
The pledge and the accompanying FAQs clearly state that the targets are complicit Israeli film institutions and companies, given their pervasive involvement in whitewashing or justifying Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its apartheid regime against all Palestinians.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
The mural was whitewashed over in August 2019, covering the artwork.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whitewash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whitewash
Verb
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The collapse of water security in Iran has been decades in the making and is rooted in a mania for megaprojects—dam building, deep wells, and water transfer schemes—that ignored the fundamentals of hydrology and ecological balance.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
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Pierre LeBrun’s viewpoint Arpon, no doubt the Hughes contract injects a fresh comparable into the discussion that neither the Canadiens nor the Hutson camp can ignore, though using comparables always seems to be in the eye of the beholder.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Actors like Andrew Garfield, Chloë Sevigny and Brian Cox have spoken out against their peers who use Method to excuse their own bad behavior.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Oct. 2025
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Plumlee, who had been excused from Monday’s media day activities for personal reasons, has continued to be absent from practice this week and hasn’t spoken about his second tour of duty with Charlotte yet.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Arteta has been criticised for having a ‘safety-first’ approach, but the numbers offer him some vindication.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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That’s a vindication story that would really make millions of viewers happy.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
1 Oct. 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
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You’d be forgiven for not knowing, since MotoGP, despite being the most prestigious motorcycle racing series in the world, is still a niche sport.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
6 Oct. 2025
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You’ll be forgiven for not spending a lot of time thinking about zip ties.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Benefits and perks Like any travel card with a hefty annual fee, the Atmos Rewards Summit card has a mile-long list of perks that are designed to deliver value that easily justifies the yearly cost.—
David McMillin,
CNBC,
8 Oct. 2025
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Ducati has just refreshed its Multistrada V4 Rally – the most off-road capable in its line of performance adventure touring motorcycles – after three years, with a bunch of tech upgrades to make long journeys more comfortable and justify the slightly higher sticker price.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the month since trading Parsons, Jones has offered a steady stream of rationalizations, some of which sound more plausible than others.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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And because this is a fairly universal phenomenon, Democratic voters are engaged in similar processes of rationalization, too.—
Sarah Stein Lubrano,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Everything has broken right for Egbuka since the moment he was drafted, with Chris Godwin having a setback from his 2024 injury, Jalen McMillan severely injuring his neck and then Mike Evans succumbing to his annual hamstring injury.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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The next year Jackson suffered a personal and professional setback.—
Jean Casarez,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whitewash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whitewash. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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