whitewash
whitewash Lexical Profile
whitewash Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A deliberate concealment or glossing over of faults, errors, or unpleasant facts in order to clear someone's reputation or make a situation appear acceptable.
"Critics dismissed the committee's final report as a complete whitewash that ignored the root causes of the failure."
A cheap white liquid mixture made of slaked lime or powdered chalk and water, used for coating walls, fences, or exteriors.
"The farmers applied a fresh coat of whitewash to the stone walls of the barn every spring."
A decisive victory in a game or series in which the losing side fails to score any points or win any matches.
"The visiting team suffered a humiliating five-game whitewash in the championship series."
• verb
To deliberately conceal, gloss over, or downplay unpleasant facts, faults, or wrongdoings to protect someone's reputation.
"Historians warned against attempts to whitewash the harsh realities of the era in school textbooks."
To paint or coat a wall, fence, or surface with a mixture of lime or chalk and water.
"In the novel, Tom Sawyer tricks the neighborhood boys into helping him whitewash his aunt's fence."
To cast white actors in roles intended for or historically representing people of other racial or ethnic backgrounds.
"The studio faced widespread criticism for deciding to whitewash the main characters in the film adaptation."
To defeat an opponent completely in a game or series without allowing them to score or win a single match.
"The defending champions managed to whitewash their rivals in straight sets during the finals."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the late 16th century as a compound of 'white' and 'wash'. Its figurative sense of concealing flaws or giving a false appearance of virtue derives from the biblical metaphor of 'whited sepulchres' (Matthew 23:27), tombs coated with lime to appear clean on the outside while remaining corrupt within.