whitewashing

verb

Definition of whitewashingnext
present participle of whitewash
1
as in ignoring
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 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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of whitewashing Japan’s Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum has been accused of whitewashing the country’s wartime past. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2026 The overnight removal and replacement of the panels, steps from Independence Hall, sparked outrage from Philadelphia officials and activists who say federal authorities are whitewashing the city’s history of slavery. — Corey Williams, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026 Clark accused some board members of whitewashing history after Young amended the curriculum to remove one definition of slavery for third-graders, citing redundancy. — Rachel Royster. Produced With Ai Assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2026 At the same time, textbooks and museums slowly but surely are eliminating or whitewashing the history of slavery. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 June 2026 However, the other signs of whitewashing — multiple, vague but positive reviews — were not present. — Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2026 Protect them with shade or by whitewashing the bark. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026 Some view the men's team as complicit in whitewashing the Iranian government's repression and can’t bear to watch the competition. — ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026 So what food crimes were these celebs whitewashing with their presence at Live Más Live? — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whitewashing
  1. ignoring
  2. excusing
  3. forgiving
  4. justifying
  5. overlooking
  6. explaining
Verb
  • Jolly countered that Donalds is ignoring pressing economic issues.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Driving fatigue is very real, thanks to so many Mad Maxes riding bumpers or blowing through red lights or completely ignoring the speed limit.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of ignoring
Verb
  • Not that Miss Manners is excusing those who burst into dinner parties after the roast has been ruined — along with the other guests’ attitudes, most likely — and then blame it on traffic.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
  • Part of that is the team’s fault, as Boone and Cashman have spent much of his career staunchly defending and excusing the former first-round pick’s poor play.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 July 2026
Definition of excusing
Verb
  • Hydrogen systems are not forgiving when oxygen is present in the wrong place.
    — Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • So when a series of health problems, including a severe case of sepsis, nearly killed him earlier this year, the discourse wasn’t forgiving.
    — Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of forgiving
Verb
  • Some hailed McDonnell as an Anna Delvey-type scammer, justifying her brazen ripoff of faceless lenders by scoffing at the idea that society should feel sympathy for giant corporate entities.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is the most capable smartwatch in Samsung's lineup, justifying its premium price with massive upgrades in endurance, screen visibility, and ruggedness.
    — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of justifying
Verb
  • Too often, people focus on immediate results while overlooking the value of long-term relationships.
    — Thomas Harker, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Meals are served beneath Murano-glass chandeliers in Sala 4 Continenti, a frescoed dining room, while lighter fare is offered in the tisaneria, an herbal-tea lounge overlooking the mountains.
    — Ken Gawrych, Robb Report, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of overlooking
Verb
  • Since publication of the New’s initial story, the NYC Transit has instituted a requirement that work orders without payable hours have a note explaining why.
    — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Sorvino previously teased the sequel back in 2024, explaining that the original writer, Robin Schiff, was finalizing the script at the time.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of explaining

Browse Nearby Words

whitewashes
whitewashing
white water
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whitewashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whitewashing. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on whitewashing

Nglish: Translation of whitewashing for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All