Synonyms of whitewash

whitewash 1 of 2

verb

ˈ(h)wīt-ˌwȯsh 

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

• ignore
• forgive
• overlook
• justify
• excuse
• explain
• pardon
• disregard
• condone
• pass over
• remit
• discount
• forgive and forget
• paper over
• brush (aside or off)
• gloss (over)
• shrug off
• blink (at)
• overpass
• wink (at)
• rationalize
• exonerate
• exculpate
• vindicate
• gloze (over)
• absolve
• acquit
• close one's eyes to
• waive
• wave (aside or off)
• clear

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• mark
• note
• object (to)
• mind
• heed

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

• excuse
• justify
• explain
• palliate
• extenuate
• gloss (over)
• explain away
• deodorize
• varnish
• minimize
• atone
• sugarcoat
• confess
• rationalize
• apologize
• gloze (over)
• exonerate
• mitigate
• soften
• exculpate
• account (for)
• lighten
• soft-pedal
• vindicate
• alleviate
• temper
• absolve
• moderate
• play down
• acquit
• lessen
• ease
• clear

whitewash

2 of 2

noun

1

as in vindication

Related Words

• vindication
• rationalization
• rationale
• excuse
• pretext
• justification
• apology
• alibi
• defense
• color
• pretense
• guise
• plea
• out
• atonement
• cop-out
• confession
• acknowledgment
• reason
• extenuation
• palliation

2

as in washout

Related Words

• washout
• setback
• fiasco
• lurch
• collapse
• debacle
• shutout
• flop
• upset
• failure
• defeat
• plastering
• overthrow
• whipping
• trimming
• rout
• beating
• drubbing
• fizzle
• licking
• nonsuccess
• shellacking
• trouncing
• loss
• lump

Dissimilar Words

• victory
• success
• triumph
• win
• achievement
• sweep
• accomplishment
• landslide
• blowout
• runaway
• romp
• walkover
• cakewalk
• walkaway

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of whitewash

Verb

Burns, who is Black, also pushed back on criticisms that the state’s new Black history curriculum whitewashes the history of slavery and oppression in America. — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026

The order to whitewash America’s historic sites of anything less than rosy about the nation’s past has led to some predictable embarrassments. — Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Noun

London is the capital of pristine facades, often painted in wedding-cake shades of cream or ivory; the city’s dominant aesthetic is a literal whitewash. — Mark O’Connell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026

The Storm defense was impressive, allowing Birmingham to convert only 1 of 13 third-down plays in the whitewash. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026