1
as in ignoring
to dismiss as of little importance
refused to whitewash the governor's chronic disregard for the truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in excusing
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whitewashing
Ahead of the parade, Chinese officials ramped up their rhetoric and accused Japan of whitewashing history.
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Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
The official award Monday drew outrage from rights activists who accuse the country’s current leader, President Prabowo Subianto, of whitewashing his former father-in-law’s legacy.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 10 Nov. 2025
As America attempts to reclaim its pride by whitewashing its unflattering histories, Springsteen’s struggle to balance light and dark on these pointedly American recordings is tremendously poignant.
—Will Hermes, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2025
The pledge and the accompanying FAQs clearly state that the targets are complicit Israeli film institutions and companies, given their pervasive involvement in whitewashing or justifying Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its apartheid regime against all Palestinians.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whitewashing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whitewashing
Verb
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Alyssa Farah Griffin attempted to cut in, with Navarro ignoring her in the moment.—
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James said the administration has not provided evidence of fraud or misuse of child care funding in New York, while ignoring the standard processes for withholding such funds.—
Verb
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There is no excusing his remarks about Childress, whose everyman, never-back-down persona is something with which many fans identify.—
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There was also the spat with coach Steve Kerr that resulted in Green excusing himself to the locker room and never returning.—
Verb
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This opening scene establishes a human, forgiving tone for a movie in which we are often encouraged to laugh with our heroes but never at them.—
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The waistband of the wide-leg trousers is fitted with elastic for a stretchy, forgiving fit, and they’re even designed with two deep side pockets that’ll hold your phone in a pinch.—
Verb
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Two skeptics of the COVID vaccine, who were appointed to administration roles just last month, authored a brief assessment justifying the overhaul.—
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But the opinion from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel justifying the strikes remains classified.—
Verb
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Smaller protests took place in Portland, Oregon; Sacramento, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; Durham, North Carolina; and Tempe, Arizona, where protesters lined a bridge overlooking a highway.—
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Eventually, state workers were relocated and the building sat empty for more than two years overlooking I-84 until it was sold in 2020 for $1 million.—
Verb
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The dispute was resolved after Singh agreed to provide additional context, explaining that the files were collaborative documents shared among participants through the messaging app Signal.—
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Scanning them launches video tutorials explaining what each product does — without forcing customers to ask questions in a store.—
Cite this Entry
“Whitewashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whitewashing. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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