as in explaining
to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses
the propaganda film attempts to deodorize the dictator's history of human rights abuses
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Recent Examples of deodorizing
An alkaline compound, baking soda is a non-toxic cleaner with a coarseness that works wonders for scrubbing grime, removing difficult stains, and deodorizing stinky odors.
—
Lauren David, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
Lauren David, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deodorizing
Verb
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Perardi emailed a photo explaining that it had been given to him as collateral.—
Matthew Bremner,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
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Several board members cited the legal outcome in explaining their votes against Ben Gamla.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Justice Department has not yet released a formal explanation justifying its redaction decisions.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
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And yet, major Jewish legacy organizations continue to insist that support for Israel requires denying the realities of occupation, justifying violence against Palestinians and rejecting Palestinian self-determination even while affirming the same for Jews.—
Rabbi Jill Jacobs,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Americans must hold the president to a higher standard and stop excusing him like a misbehaving child from a broken home.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
7 Feb. 2026
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But there’s no excusing Josh Allen’s four turnovers.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After a public outcry over complaints of whitewashing, A’zion swiftly exited the movie.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2026
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Odessa A'zion is dropping out of a film project just two days after her involvement was announced, citing a whitewashing controversy that took over social media.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Such stretches have previously been eliminated by the NBA, with the exception of extenuating circumstances.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
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Executive producer and star of the film, Danielle Brooks, stuns with her performance as a mother trying to juggle it all and offers an honest portrayal of what happens when extenuating circumstances prevent closeness and warmth within a household.—
Dominique Fluker,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deodorizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deodorizing. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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