1
as in to ignore
to dismiss as of little importance
refused to whitewash the governor's chronic disregard for the truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in vindication
Related Words
2
as in washout
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of whitewash
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
Carmen López, Flores and other relatives say the local government is trying to whitewash the issue of the missing ahead of the global sporting event.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Katherine Lagrave, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025
Visit the whitewash beacon and adjacent lightkeeper’s house located at the Southern end of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whitewash
Verb
Once a sky-blue democracy is restored, may Trump’s days of infamy be ruled illegitimate and his name and legacy duly tainted by all of history, darkly blackened or cautiously reddened in the honest records that this twerp and his twisted cohorts have conspired so heinously to whitewash.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
Carmen López, Flores and other relatives say the local government is trying to whitewash the issue of the missing ahead of the global sporting event.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
Dating to around 1250, the small church was built of boulders and has since been covered with whitewash.
—Katherine Lagrave, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025
Visit the whitewash beacon and adjacent lightkeeper’s house located at the Southern end of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whitewash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whitewash
Verb
-
This is a youngster in great form and proving hard to ignore.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Some Democrats argue that the cost of ignoring young male voters is higher than the risk of association with Piker.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And historians can talk about the Versailles treaty causing resentment in Germany, which led to the rise of Nazism in World War II, and that’s fine; that’s not excusing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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No grievance, no workplace conflict, no personal resentment ever excuses violence.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The current war has vindicated their investments in renewable energy – though the vindication has limits.—
Ezgi Canpolat,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
-
His remarks might serve as vindication to the Americans feeling the squeeze from the data center boom.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
After 48 years of unsuccessful politicking, one might be tempted to call the idea of indexing capital gains a certified washout.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
-
There are low chances for rain from Wednesday into the weekend but no day looks like a complete washout.—
Rachael Jay,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Women who report abuse are too often told to forgive, submit, or stay silent.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Not forgive, not empathize, just listen with an open mind.—
Liana Finck,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Policies were justified not with reference to morality or metaphysics but with citations of white papers.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Conflicts abroad, such as in Iran, that may disrupt domestic oil resources could also be used as an argument to justify the need to drill, Sivas said.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Trump, meanwhile, has struck a decidedly defiant tone — offering few of the reassurances or rationalizations that past presidents have offered in the initial stages of war, and sounding more unbothered than embattled.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Two at-odds facts can both be true, and all of us are susceptible to arrogance and self-serving rationalization.—
Carol Quillen,
Time,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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With strong leadership and direction, what first appears as setbacks can in fact be a jumping-off point for invention and growth.—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In revisiting Lehmann’s story, Strager highlights that Lehmann’s legacy is one of resilience and perseverance—proof that early setbacks do not define a person and that brilliance can flourish, even later in life.—
Carol Sutton Lewis,
Scientific American,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whitewash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whitewash. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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