# whitewash

/ˈhwaɪtˌwɑʃ/ (US) · /wˈaɪtwɒʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/whitewash
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to hide mistakes

verb · CEFR B2

to try to hide the truth about a mistake or a crime to make a person or organization look good.

For teachers: to conceal or gloss over faults, errors, or wrongdoings in order to protect a reputation.

- The government was accused of trying to whitewash the scandal before the election.
- The independent inquiry was dismissed by critics as a blatant attempt to whitewash the department's systemic failures.

Usage: Often used in the context of official reports or political investigations.

### 2. to paint white

verb · CEFR B1

to paint a wall or fence with a simple, cheap white liquid.

For teachers: to coat a surface with a mixture of lime and water or a similar white liquid.

- They decided to whitewash the old garden wall to make the yard look brighter.
- The villagers traditionally whitewash their stone cottages every spring to protect the walls and reflect the summer heat.

### 3. casting/narrative bias

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to change a story or a movie to focus on white people, often by replacing characters of color with white actors.

For teachers: to cast white actors in roles originally intended for people of colour, or to alter a narrative to center white perspectives.

- Fans were angry when the studio chose to whitewash the lead role in the movie.
- The production faced significant backlash for its decision to whitewash a story deeply rooted in East Asian history.

Teaching tip: This is a modern, socially sensitive sense frequently discussed in media and cultural studies.

### 4. to win completely

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · British English

to beat an opponent so badly that they do not score any points at all.

For teachers: to defeat an opponent completely, preventing them from scoring or winning any games in a series.

- The national team managed to whitewash their rivals in the three-match series.
- After a dominant performance in the final test, the visitors completed a historic whitewash over the home side.

Usage: Commonly used in cricket and tennis contexts.

### 5. a cover-up

noun · CEFR B2

an attempt to stop people from finding out the truth about something bad.

For teachers: a coordinated effort to hide unpleasant facts or to exonerate a guilty party through a biased investigation.

- The public viewed the internal report as a complete whitewash.
- The opposition party demanded a new probe, claiming the initial findings were nothing more than a political whitewash.

## Examples

- The team's victory was a total whitewash.
- The committee's report was a whitewash, failing to address the serious safety violations that led to the accident.
- Critics argued that the internal investigation was a whitewash designed to protect the board from the public scrutiny that the scandal had rightfully earned.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.