WHITEWASHED Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

whitewashed

verb

past tense of whitewash

as in ignored

to dismiss as of little importance refused to whitewash the governor's chronic disregard for the truth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in excused

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

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 whitewashed Polished stone-tile floors, whitewashed walls, and spacious bathrooms are common elements of all the rooms. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026 The one-bedroom space is minimal, deliberately quiet, and whitewashed. — Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 17 Aug. 2026 Sant Pol de Mar swaps crowded stretches of sand for quieter coves, whitewashed buildings and a noticeably calmer atmosphere than Barcelona. — Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026 No longer a hidden gem or best-kept secret, Puglia’s dramatic beaches, Baroque cities, and whitewashed trulli are splashed over many an Instagram feed. — Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2026 The living room features whitewashed stone walls, a curved plaster fireplace, and polished concrete floors, while the kitchen has flat-front wood cabinets, a waterfall eat-in island, and exposed wood ceilings above clerestory windows. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 11 May 2026 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 By then, investigators had checked Guthrie’s flat, whitewashed roof and probed her septic tank with a long pole. — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whitewashed

Verb

However its advice was ignored, journalist Ralph Vartabedian revealed in a 2022 article for the New York Times.

— Dan Walters, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
Dershowitz has said the rift continued after that encounter, telling The Atlantic that David no longer speaks to him and has ignored him during subsequent encounters.

— Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of ignored

Verb

Yet Messi himself had been silent until now, after flying to his hometown Rosario in Argentina to attend Jorge’s funeral after he was excused by his current club Inter Miami.

— Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Patrick, who is divorced from Lindsay Clancy and has since remarried, was on the stand to start the day but was excused after emotional direct questioning about the day his children were killed.

— Matt Schooley, CBS News, 29 July 2026

Definition of excused

Verb

Brian O'Donnell of Campaign for Nature stresses that economies fundamentally depend on nature for essential services like food and water, a reliance often overlooked by financial models.

— Jamie Hailstone, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
With that in mind, this is the first in an occasional series of items looking at Dodgers that often get overlooked.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of overlooked

Verb

Tokayev, who has sought to maintain a delicate balance between Moscow and the West since sanctions were imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine, has justified the changes by citing the need for rapid decision-making in a fast-changing world.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Carrick is justified in minding against an overreaction — and United won the next game after both of their defeats under him last season — but his team will need to be so much better for the visit of Ipswich Town.

— Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of justified

Verb

But in a conversation with The Athletic, Bass explained that missing the entire 2025 season and undergoing sports hernia surgery taught him to value the entire NFL kicking experience, even the misses that come with such a high-pressure job.

— Tim Graham, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
However, Lai explained that the launcher could, in theory, deliver explosive payloads designed to detonate near a target.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of explained

Browse Nearby Words

whitewash

whitewashed

whitewashes

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Whitewashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whitewashed. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of whitewashed

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tilde

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes