1
as in ignores
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 justifies
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 rationalizations
Related Words
2
as in washouts
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whitewashes
Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Verb
The biography is presented as a clear-eyed and evenhanded examination of Reid’s complex legacy that neither whitewashes his methods nor diminishes his accomplishments.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whitewashes
Verb
-
Today’s anything-goes, zero-sum war for attention ignores the lessons learned in the Golden Age of advertising in the 1960s, when brands were sold with thoughtful, artistic, wise and playful takes on the human condition.—
Bruce Stockler,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
His inept Cabinet ignores, and actually encourages, his very weird and embarrassing meandering.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What is, in most cases, an individual choice made by adults does not, by itself, constitute a clinical problem that justifies federal correction.—
Cláudia Nunes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The realist view is that NASA wants to fly a nuclear reactor as soon as possible, and the Mars launch window justifies the aggressive development schedule (and commensurate funding) to appropriators.—
David W. Brown,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Expectations going up after two straight Playoff washouts.—
Jason Kirk,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
-
In optimal conditions, most vehicles can make it, but high clearance is strongly recommended—especially in winter and after storms, when washouts, flooding, or snow accumulation are possible.—
Taryn Shorr-Mckee,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There is no blanket federal program that automatically forgives credit card debt simply because someone is a veteran.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Sinnott forgives his parents, and parents today who waver on vaccination.—
Arthur Allen,
Miami Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
None of that excuses the crimes.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Lost Lambs features an all-white cast in an anonymous American suburb, which excuses Cash from having to engage head-on with race.—
Malavika Kannan,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Perched on a bluff that overlooks Irish Beach, a private area within Manchester State Park, the home boasts an unobstructed, 180-degree view of the rugged Mendocino coastline.—
Kelsey Mulvey,
Vogue,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Yet this overlooks how the politics of addiction actually functioned in the formative decades of the drug war.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Which explains everything and nothing.—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
-
One explains why inflation exists, while the other tells you what to do when your rent goes up.—
Gerald Bradshaw,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Investors look for reasons to take profits, even though the rationales may have nothing to do with the market action.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Instead, the White House offered frequently shifting rationales for its war and little outreach to the Iranian resistance.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whitewashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whitewashes. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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