wash out
To wear away by the flow of water; to erode.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The heavy rain will wash out the dirt path.”
“Years of flooding had begun to wash out the riverbank, making the trail unsafe for hikers.”
“The ancient inscription, once deep and clear, had slowly washed out over centuries of relentless tides and storms.”
From wash + out.
- 01
come out in the wash
Of problems or difficulties, to work out, resolve, or become understood eventually and naturally.
- 02
wash a blackamoor white
To labour in vain, especially so as to present something as better than it really is; to whitewash.
- 03
wash one's dirty laundry in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 04
wash one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 05
wash oneself of
To stop caring about (something); to reject any semblance of (something).
- 06
washed out
Very tired and lacking energy or animation.
Last updated August 10, 2026