whitewash
[ hwahyt-wosh, -wawsh, wahyt- ]
/ ˈʰwaɪtˌwɒʃ, -ˌwɔʃ, ˈwaɪt- /
noun
a composition, as of lime and water or of whiting, size, and water, used for whitening walls, woodwork, etc.
anything, as deceptive words or actions, used to cover up or gloss over faults, errors, or wrongdoings, or absolve a wrongdoer from blame.
Sports Informal. a defeat in which the loser fails to score.
verb (used with object)
to whiten with whitewash.
to cover up or gloss over the faults or errors of; absolve from blame.
Sports Informal. to defeat by keeping the opponent from scoring: The home team whitewashed the visitors eight to nothing.
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OTHER WORDS FROM whitewash
white·wash·er, nounun·white·washed, adjectiveWords nearby whitewash
whitesmith, whitethorn, whitethroat, whitetip shark, whitewall, whitewash, whitewater, whitewater rafting, whitewing, whitewood, whitey
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for whitewash
British Dictionary definitions for whitewash
whitewash
/ (ˈwaɪtˌwɒʃ) /
noun
a substance used for whitening walls and other surfaces, consisting of a suspension of lime or whiting in water, often with other substances, such as size, added
informal deceptive or specious words or actions intended to conceal defects, gloss over failings, etc
informal a defeat in a sporting contest in which the loser is beaten in every match, game, etc in a seriesthey face the prospect of a whitewash in the five-test series
verb (tr)
to cover or whiten with whitewash
informal to conceal, gloss over, or suppress
informal to defeat (an opponent or opposing team) by winning every match in a series
Derived forms of whitewash
whitewasher, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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