1
as in to ignore
to dismiss as of little importance
refused to whitewash the governor's chronic disregard for the truth
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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
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1
as in vindication
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2
as in washout
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Examples of whitewash in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Jan. 2024
For many French voters, a modicum of civility has not whitewashed the party’s extreme policies, let alone the vicious antisemitism of its Holocaust-denying founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen.
—Lee Hockstader, Washington Post, 19 June 2024
Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2024
Given that the existing reports were subjected to multiple whitewashes, Weigold believes, the only way to reach a valid assessment of what happened on Alderney is to make comparisons to similar situations for which good records do exist.
—Rebecca Panovka, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whitewash 
Verb
This does not mean whitewashing history or evading the truth that slavery is a grievous stain on our past.
—Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Jan. 2024
For many French voters, a modicum of civility has not whitewashed the party’s extreme policies, let alone the vicious antisemitism of its Holocaust-denying founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen.
—Lee Hockstader, Washington Post, 19 June 2024
Noun
After running the car into the surf and getting stuck in the whitewash, the driver got out and started swimming farther offshore.
—Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2024
Given that the existing reports were subjected to multiple whitewashes, Weigold believes, the only way to reach a valid assessment of what happened on Alderney is to make comparisons to similar situations for which good records do exist.
—Rebecca Panovka, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whitewash
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whitewash.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thesaurus Entries Near whitewash
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“Whitewash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whitewash. Accessed 8 Sep. 2024.
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