wash out

British  

verb

1. (tr) to wash (the inside of something) so as to remove (dirt)

2. Also: wash off. to remove or be removed by washing

   grass stains don't wash out easily

3. (tr) to cancel or abandon (a sporting event)

---

noun

1. geology

   1. erosion of the earth's surface by the action of running water

   2. a narrow channel produced by this erosion

2. informal

   1. a total failure or disaster

   2. an incompetent person

3. a sporting or social event that is cancelled due to rain

4. aeronautics a decrease in the angle of attack of an aircraft wing towards the wing tip

wash out Idioms  

1. Remove or be removed by washing; also, cause to fade by laundering. For example, Give it to me; I'll wash out that stain , or The bleach has really washed out that bright print . [Mid-1700s]

2. Wear away or be worn away by the flow of water, as in The river rose and washed out the dam , or The road has completely washed out . [Mid-1700s]

3. Deplete or be depleted of energy, as in Working on her feet all day just washed her out , or I just washed out after that long tennis match . [Mid-1800s]

4. Eliminate or be eliminated as unsatisfactory, as in He washed out of medical school after just one year , or After only two months as chairman I washed out . [ Colloquial ; early 1900s]

5. Cancel owing to bad weather, as in The picnic was washed out . [ Colloquial ; early 1900s] Also see washed out .

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wash out

"Physicists call this trait universality -- the messy, microscopic details wash out and only a few essential features survive," explains Jason Alicea, William K. Davis Professor of Theoretical Physics.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026

He found that many of the chemical residues in cotton and cotton-rich garments can wash out during laundering, but also that chemicals can migrate more readily from cotton than polyester into sweat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Parke Skelton, a retired veteran Democratic political consultant, said that he expects the slate mailers, field volunteers and other support that each organization can provide their endorsed candidate will wash out.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

The $15 million lesson was expensive, and the suspension of Kimmel was a stain that won’t wash out easily.

From Salon ● May 13, 2026

The pale young gentleman’s nose had stained my trousers, and I tried to wash out that evidence of my guilt in the dead of night.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• break down
• break up
• come apart
• crumble
• decay
• decompose
• degenerate
• descend
• disband
• dismantle
• rot
• sever
• shatter
• sink
• splinter
• wither

---