Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense whitewashes, present participle whitewashing, past tense, past participle whitewashed
1. uncountable noun
Whitewash is a mixture of lime or chalk and water that is used for painting walls white.
2. verb
If a wall or building has been whitewashed, it has been painted white with whitewash.
The walls had been whitewashed. [beVERB-ed]
...a town of picturesque whitewashed cottages. [VERB-ed]
3. verb
If you say that people whitewash something, you are accusing them of hiding the unpleasant facts or truth about it in order to make it acceptable.
[disapproval]
The administration is whitewashing the regime's actions. [VERB noun]
'The whole incident was whitewashed,' he claimed yesterday. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: cover up, conceal, suppress, camouflage More Synonyms of whitewash
4. uncountable noun [oft aNOUN]
Whitewash is an attempt to hide the unpleasant facts or truth about someone or something.
[disapproval]
He pledged that there would be no whitewash and a full investigation.
The report's findings were condemned as total whitewash.
Synonyms: cover-up, deception, camouflage, concealment More Synonyms of whitewash
5. verb
In sports, if a player or team whitewashes an opponent, they win very easily, and their opponent does not get any points at all.
[mainly journalism]
She whitewashed her opponent in her opening match. [VERB noun]
Their leading players were being whitewashed 4-0. [VERB noun]
whitewash in British English
(ˈwaɪtˌwɒʃ)
noun
1.
a substance used for whitening walls and other surfaces, consisting of a suspension of lime or whiting in water, often with other substances, such as size, added
2. informal
deceptive or specious words or actions intended to conceal defects, gloss over failings, etc
3. informal
a defeat in a sporting contest in which the loser is beaten in every match, game, etc in a series
they face the prospect of a whitewash in the five-test series
verb(transitive)
4.
to cover or whiten with whitewash
5. informal
to conceal, gloss over, or suppress
6. informal
to defeat (an opponent or opposing team) by winning every match in a series
7. (mainly tr) informal
to cast a White actor in the role of (a character from a minority ethnic group) or to produce (a film or play) using White actors to play characters froma minority ethnic group
Derived forms
whitewasher (ˈwhiteˌwasher)
noun
whitewashing (ˈwhiteˌwashing)
noun
whitewash in American English
(ˈhwaɪtˌwɔʃ; ˈwaɪtˌwɔʃ)
noun
1.
a mixture of lime, whiting, size, water, etc., for whitening walls, etc.
2.
a cosmetic formerly used for making the skin fair
3.
a.
a glossing over or concealing of faults or defects in an effort to exonerate or give the appearance of soundness
b.
something said or done for this purpose
4. US, Sport; Informal
a defeat in which the loser scores no points
verb transitive
5.
to cover with whitewash
6.
to gloss over or conceal the faults or defects of; give a favorable interpretation of or a falsely virtuous appearance to
7. US, Sport; Informal
to defeat (an opponent) soundly
Derived forms
whitewasher (ˈwhiteˌwasher)
noun
Examples of 'whitewash' in a sentence
whitewash
The competition might not prove a total whitewash.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The rooms are chic and airy with whitewashed walls.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This is a place to escape to, where you can sleep surrounded by whitewashed stone walls and lush gardens.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Expect whitewashed walls, four-poster beds and hammocks for afternoon snoozing.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The hotel comprises 21 bungalows and three villas with whitewashed wood-panelled walls and flamboyant splashes of modern art.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
There are two double rooms and three twin rooms, all en suite and set over two floors, with whitewashed walls and crisp cotton linen.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Its pretty cobbled streets and bright whitewashed buildings covered in pink flowers had taken my breath away.
The Sun (2014)
This cosy restaurant is the former village forge with thick whitewashed walls and dark wood tables.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Court crossed the whitewash after a series of pick and drives.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The enquiry will be seen as yet another whitewash.
The Sun (2016)
The result was a whitewash defeat that had the crowd nodding off.
The Sun (2010)
Relatives dismissed the report as a whitewash.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
This exposes the inquiry as a total whitewash.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We pull up outside a whitewashed house.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Accommodation is in the main building or whitewashed villas furnished in a contemporary style.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The whitewashed walls were splashed with their blood.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
On whitewashed walls hang some of his most iconic works as well as art influenced by him.
The Sun (2016)
The main building is a long whitewashed farmhouse just across the road from the duck pond on the village green.
Oliver Morton Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet (2007)
Another 5-0 whitewash could be on the cards.
The Sun (2014)
She lives in a whitewashed house deep in the home counties with pine trees in the drive and croquet hoops in the lawn.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Park House does not fit the usual image of a small whitewashed building set in rolling countryside.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
My window looked out on to a quiet lane, flanked by wooden balconies jutting out from the whitewashed houses.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The report is a whitewash.
The Sun (2015)
A 5-0 series whitewash looks a real possibility.
The Sun (2011)
But the run bonanza was another giant step for England towards their target of a 4-0 series whitewash.
The Sun (2011)
The washout means England are certain at least to avoid a 7-0 whitewash in the series after losing the first four.
The Sun (2006)
The picture varies dramatically from one region to another, between the sunshine coasts and hilly inland villages, and from whitewashed town to whitewashed town.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
whitewash
British English: whitewash /ˈwaɪtˌwɒʃ/ NOUN
Whitewash is a mixture of lime or chalk and water used for painting walls white.
American English: whitewash
Arabic: بَيَاضٌ لِطِلَاءِ الـجُدْران
Brazilian Portuguese: cal
Chinese: 刷石灰
Croatian: bojati vapnom
Czech: vápenné mléko k bílení
Danish: kalk
Dutch: witwassen
European Spanish: encalar
Finnish: maalata kalkkimaalilla
French: lait à la chaux
German: tünchen
Greek: ασβεστώνω
Italian: imbiancare
Japanese: 漆喰を塗る
Korean: 희게 회칠하다
Norwegian: kalke
Polish: pobielić
European Portuguese: branquear
Romanian: lapte de var
Russian: белить
Latin American Spanish: blanquear
Swedish: bortförklara
Thai: ปูนขาวทาผนัง
Turkish: badanalamak
Ukrainian: вапняний розчин для білення
Vietnamese: quét vôi
British English: white-wash NOUN
White-wash is a mixture of lime or chalk and water that is used for painting walls white.
American English: whitewash
Brazilian Portuguese: cal
Chinese: > 石灰水将墙壁刷成白色的
European Spanish: cal
French: lait de chauxN
German: Tünche
Italian: calce
Japanese: 水しっくい
Korean: 백색 도료
European Portuguese: cal
Latin American Spanish: cal
Chinese translation of 'whitewash'
whitewash
(ˈwaɪtwɔʃ)
n
(u) (= paint) 白涂(塗)料 (bái túliào)
(c/u) (= cover-up) 粉饰(飾) (fěnshì)
(c) (inf, Sport) 得零分的惨(慘)败(敗) (dé língfēn de cǎnbài)
vt
(= paint) 粉刷 (fěnshuā)
(= cover up) 粉饰(飾) (fěnshì)
(verb)
Definition
to conceal the unpleasant truth about
The administration is whitewashing the regime's actions.
Synonyms
cover up
conceal
The device, concealed in a dustbin, was defused by police.
suppress
She surpressed a smile at the thought.
camouflage
This is another clever attempt to camouflage reality.
make light of
gloss over
extenuate
airbrush
Opposites
reveal
,
expose
,
disclose
,
unveil
,
uncover
,
unmask
,
lay bare
(noun)
Definition
an attempt to conceal the unpleasant truth
The report's findings were condemned as total whitewash.
Synonyms
cover-up
He denied there'd been any cover-up of the fraud.
deception
camouflage
Her merrymaking was only a camouflage to disguise her grief.
concealment
His concealment of his true motives was masterly.
smoke and mirrors
extenuation
Additional synonyms
in the sense of camouflage
Definition
to conceal by camouflage
This is another clever attempt to camouflage reality.
Synonyms
disguise,
cover,
screen,
hide,
mask,
conceal,
obscure,
veil,
cloak,
obfuscate (formal)
in the sense of camouflage
Her merrymaking was only a camouflage to disguise her grief.
Synonyms
disguise,
front (informal),
cover,
screen,
blind,
mask,
cloak,
guise,
masquerade,
subterfuge,
concealment
in the sense of conceal
Definition
to cover and hide
The device, concealed in a dustbin, was defused by police.