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
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in washout
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 whitewash
Laura Begley Bloom, AFAR Media, 27 Feb. 2025
The grounds are a botanical marvel—lush gardens filled with subtropical plants frame whitewashed buildings that evoke traditional Andalusian architecture with contemporary sophistication.
—Shelby Knick, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Tim Ellis, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Darts finals have been won more handsomely — the sport’s all-time great Phil Taylor dished out three 7-0 whitewashes in his heyday — but not like this.
—Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whitewash
Verb
The resort’s design mirrors Nevis itself—refined yet relaxed, with plantation-style cottages and whitewashed interiors.
—Laura Begley Bloom, AFAR Media, 27 Feb. 2025
The grounds are a botanical marvel—lush gardens filled with subtropical plants frame whitewashed buildings that evoke traditional Andalusian architecture with contemporary sophistication.
—Shelby Knick, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
This was total obliteration too, a three-nil whitewash that was clinical and composed.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Darts finals have been won more handsomely — the sport’s all-time great Phil Taylor dished out three 7-0 whitewashes in his heyday — but not like this.
—Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whitewash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whitewash
Verb
-
Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year.—
Brenda Stolyar,
Wired News,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Pedro Pascal isn't ignoring an obvious parallel between himself and his character in the HBO series The Last of Us.—
Arabella Hau,
People.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Until Henry momentarily excuses himself from the table, that is, and the person or persons behind these winky-wink messages tell her to poison Henry ASAP or the menacing guy currently hiding in her apartment will kill her boy.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
-
The 2025 Masters is here, and more than Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele will be on display this week at Augusta National Golf Club for all the fans — excuse us, patrons — to bear witness to.—
Hugh Kellenberger,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But Wu will take the ruling as vindication – yet another win for her in a series of high profile victories for her administration and campaign over the last few weeks.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2025
-
The mother's lawyer, Ronald Hayley, tells PEOPLE that the decision to charge Gilpin is vindication for his client.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Cinema Saviours After years of the washout of the Covid years, the appearance of Oppenheimer and Barbie, appearing in cinemas at the same time gave us the much talked about ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon, with many people choosing to see both films on the same day.—
Benny Har-Even,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
-
In fairness, Grier and McDaniel haven’t wasted much money on big-ticket washouts.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Fans have not forgiven him for trading a global superstar in the prime of his career.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
-
This is one of the situations where even the most fervent ‘anti-muted celebration’ crowd could forgive a player for toning things down a bit.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Officials were pressed to justify the action on Sunday morning news shows, where again the confused messaging was apparent.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2025
-
High-stakes use cases might justify a premium model, while simpler tasks could be served by more affordable options.—
Roman Vorel,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Relying heavily on retrospective interviews and self-reporting, these approaches, still widely used in marketing and management, are plagued by recall bias and rationalization.—
Benjamin Voyer,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
Bong’s rationalization is that quirky Mickey 17 opposes Mickey 18’s plans to assassinate Niflheim’s fascist developer, Kenneth Marshall, a lousy Trump impersonation by Mark Ruffalo, confirming the film’s predictably leftist political subtext.—
Armond White,
National Review,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
And with Julian then sharing the affair, that was a huge setback.—
Breanne L. Heldman,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Emmett followed that setback with a June 2023 decision loss to Ilia Topuria.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whitewash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whitewash. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share