whitewash
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to try to hide the truth about a mistake or a crime to make a person or organization look good.
v.to conceal or gloss over faults, errors, or wrongdoings in order to protect a reputation.
Simple“The government was accused of trying to whitewash the scandal before the election.”
In context“The independent inquiry was dismissed by critics as a blatant attempt to whitewash the department's systemic failures.”
UsageOften used in the context of official reports or political investigations.
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
v.to paint a wall or fence with a simple, cheap white liquid.
v.to coat a surface with a mixture of lime and water or a similar white liquid.
Simple“They decided to whitewash the old garden wall to make the yard look brighter.”
In context“The villagers traditionally whitewash their stone cottages every spring to protect the walls and reflect the summer heat.”
Synonymswhitenpaint - 03 C1 Advanced
v.to change a story or a movie to focus on white people, often by replacing characters of color with white actors.
v.to cast white actors in roles originally intended for people of colour, or to alter a narrative to center white perspectives.
Simple“Fans were angry when the studio chose to whitewash the lead role in the movie.”
In context“The production faced significant backlash for its decision to whitewash a story deeply rooted in East Asian history.”
Teacher's tipThis is a modern, socially sensitive sense frequently discussed in media and cultural studies.
- 04 C1 Advanced
v.to beat an opponent so badly that they do not score any points at all.
v.to defeat an opponent completely, preventing them from scoring or winning any games in a series.
Simple“The national team managed to whitewash their rivals in the three-match series.”
In context“After a dominant performance in the final test, the visitors completed a historic whitewash over the home side.”
UsageCommonly used in cricket and tennis contexts.
Synonymsshut outsweep - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.an attempt to stop people from finding out the truth about something bad.
n.a coordinated effort to hide unpleasant facts or to exonerate a guilty party through a biased investigation.
Simple“The public viewed the internal report as a complete whitewash.”
In context“The opposition party demanded a new probe, claiming the initial findings were nothing more than a political whitewash.”
SynonymsAntonyms
“Beneath the hospital windows and newly whitewashed walls there are rows of strawberries and cucumbers planted by the prisoners.”
“Small and simple, the church’s red-tiled roof and whitewashed stone walls appear similar to those of any number of other charming sanctuaries throughout southwestern France.”
The noun is derived from white (adjective) + wash (noun). Noun noun sense 5.1 (“medicinal preparation for treating skin diseases”) is a calque of New Latin lōtiō alba (literally “white wash”). The verb is derived partly from white (adjective) + wash (verb), and partly from the noun.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.