sportswash

American  

[spawrts-wosh, -wawsh] / ˈspɔrtsˌwɒʃ, -ˌwɔʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to rehabilitate (a bad reputation) or downplay (negative press coverage) with a sports event, especially with an appeal to unify and reconcile groups in conflict by celebrating fans’ shared love of a game.

   The energy giant sportswashed away lingering images of oil-covered wildlife with their sponsorship of the Olympic and Paralympic teams.

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Etymology

Origin of sportswash

First recorded in 2010–15; sports ( def. ) + wash ( def. ); modeled on greenwash ( def. )

Example Sentences

Rather, it helps to think of the sportswash as some vast, pointless infrastructure project: a man-made glacier, a giant bridge to nowhere, a Nando’s visible from space.

From The Guardian • Feb. 17, 2020