whitewash

[ hwahyt-wosh, -wawsh, wahyt- ]

/ ˈʰwaɪtˌwɒʃ, -ˌwɔʃ, ˈwaɪt- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR whitewash ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Nearby words

whitesmith, whitethorn, whitethroat, whitetip shark, whitewall, whitewash, whitewater, whitewater rafting, whitewing, whitewood, whitey

Origin of whitewash

First recorded in 1585–95; white + wash

SYNONYMS FOR whitewash

5 excuse, vindicate, exonerate.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR whitewash ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

white·wash·er, nounun·white·washed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for whitewash

In the latest Weekly Standard can be found an editorial under the headline “The Benghazi Whitewash.”
Rand Paul Won’t Let Benghazi Die|Olivia Nuzzi|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Plus, on cable you no longer have to whitewash the story and appease the masses, so the narratives are getting more interesting.
Jeremy Renner Opens Up About Marriage, His Problems with the Media, and the Future of Hawk-Eye|Marlow Stern|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She must whitewash these brown men and women, rid them of their savage, slavish ways, and repaint them in her own image.
The Abused Wives of Westeros: A Song of Feminism in ‘Game of Thrones’|Amy Zimmerman|April 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I just wasn't cut out to be a whitewash salesman, so to speak.
Bob Kurland, the First Player to Dunk, Was a Pioneer for Big Men|Kevin Fixler|March 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

How could she have allowed herself to whitewash such monstrosity?
The Fall of India’s Conscience|Tunku Varadarajan|November 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Tommy Bung was ready for the audience and had already fallen into a tub of whitewash.
A Bed of Roses|W. L. George
A tengu-painter makes a long-handled brush to whitewash the ceiling, by strapping it to his nose.
Japanese Fairy World|William Elliot Griffis
Whitewash, a glass of sherry as a finale, after drinking port and claret.
The Slang Dictionary|John Camden Hotten
There was no lack of material; boys happened along every little while; they came to jeer, but remained to whitewash.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Finally I owned up to myself that I'd made a mistake; the girl was a whitewashed tombstone and the whitewash was rubbing thin.
Cape Cod Stories|Joseph C. Lincoln

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

whitewasher, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012