Whitewash
verb
To make something bad or undesireable seem acceptable by hiding the truth.
The company tried to whitewash the scandal by blaming it on a few individuals.
Often appears as...
- whitewash the truth
- whitewash a scandal
Usage tips
Disapproving
Idiomatic
verb
To paint a wall or ceiling with a mixture of chalk and water.
The villagers whitewashed the exterior of their houses.
Often appears as...
- whitewash a wall
- whitewash a ceiling
noun
A mixture of chalk and water used for painting walls and ceilings white.
He bought a bucket of whitewash for his new house.
Often appears as...
- bucket of whitewash
- coat of whitewash
verb
To defeat completely in a competition or game.
The home team was whitewashed by the visitors in the final match.
Often appears as...
- whitewash in a match
- whitewash a game
Usage tips
Disapproving
Colloquial
verb
To make something bad or undesireable seem acceptable by hiding the truth.
The company tried to whitewash the scandal by blaming it on a few individuals.
Often appears as...
- whitewash the truth
- whitewash a scandal
Usage tips
Disapproving
Idiomatic
verb
To paint a wall or ceiling with a mixture of chalk and water.
The villagers whitewashed the exterior of their houses.
Often appears as...
- whitewash a wall
- whitewash a ceiling
noun
A mixture of chalk and water used for painting walls and ceilings white.
He bought a bucket of whitewash for his new house.
Often appears as...
- bucket of whitewash
- coat of whitewash
verb
To defeat completely in a competition or game.
The home team was whitewashed by the visitors in the final match.
Often appears as...
- whitewash in a match
- whitewash a game
Usage tips
Disapproving
Colloquial
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/3Misleading Implication
Used when someone tries to avoid blame or criticism by being deceitful or dishonest.
After the failure, their explanation was a clear attempt to whitewash the situation.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Connotation
Carries a negative connotation as it implies dishonesty and manipulation of facts.
The government's report was a whitewash, leaving out crucial details.
Pro Tip 3/3Criticism Likely
Using this term suggests one is skeptical or critical of the action being described.
Journalists accused the officials of trying to whitewash the corruption inquiry.
Pro Tip 1/3Misleading Implication
Used when someone tries to avoid blame or criticism by being deceitful or dishonest.
After the failure, their explanation was a clear attempt to whitewash the situation.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Connotation
Carries a negative connotation as it implies dishonesty and manipulation of facts.
The government's report was a whitewash, leaving out crucial details.
Pro Tip 3/3Criticism Likely
Using this term suggests one is skeptical or critical of the action being described.
Journalists accused the officials of trying to whitewash the corruption inquiry.
Pro Tip 1/3Misleading Implication
Used when someone tries to avoid blame or criticism by being deceitful or dishonest.
After the failure, their explanation was a clear attempt to whitewash the situation.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Connotation
Carries a negative connotation as it implies dishonesty and manipulation of facts.
The government's report was a whitewash, leaving out crucial details.
Pro Tip 3/3Criticism Likely
Using this term suggests one is skeptical or critical of the action being described.
Journalists accused the officials of trying to whitewash the corruption inquiry.
Compare with
camouflageconcealcover updisguisefalsifygloss overmaskmisrepresent
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Video examples
Unsafe Conditions PIPE...
listen help a bit those up now happen to mention we have no roof on the cabin so everything we really expect to have a roof on today but me we got boards half painted outside I know what that's gonna be like all of our rafters they're gonna like whitewash now how's that gonna affect their schedule it affects your
Video examples
Dave Eggers: 2008 TED...
but we did all the necessary research. It used to be a weight room, so there were rubber floors below, acoustic tile ceilings and fluorescent lights. We took all that down, and we found beautiful wooden floors, whitewashed beams and it had the look -- while we were renovating this place, somebody said,
Video examples
Bassam Tariq: The beauty...
in every moving image, in every cut of meat, because if we whitewash our stories for the sake of mass appeal, not only will we fail, but we will be trumped by those with more money and more resources to tell our stories. But the call for creative courage is not for novelty or relevance.
Video examples
Katlego Kolanyane-Kesupil...
by association rather than out of any act of shame. "Kat" was an international superstar, a fashion and lifestyle writer, a musician, theater producer and performer -- all the things that qualify me to be a mainstream, whitewashed,
Video examples
How fashion helps us...
one by one, until darkness becomes a way of life. However, if I today, then you tomorrow, maybe even more of us someday, if we embrace our right to look like ourselves, then in the world that's been violently whitewashed,
Video examples
The real story of Rosa...
I'm a well-meaning person. I didn't own slaves. I'm not trying to whitewash history. I'm a good guy. I'm a good person." Let me tell you what it has to do with you, and I'll tell it to you by telling you a story
Video examples
A floating peep show PIPE...
that by opening a floating Peep Show it was the most natural thing I could do in the face of the whitewashed predictable suburban lifeless flattened reality that is displacing the very texture of our
Video examples
A 3-Part Plan to Take On...
Shady and verdant internal courtyards with fountains or outside walls that are whitewashed every spring to reflect the hot summer heat, the heat of the hot summers. So compare these to our concrete,
Video examples
What I learned at...
white watches the people out of the painting okay I just have riskier material you're just meeting me and horsing there was a thing at the Supreme Court and he went and whitewashed out
Video examples
How film transforms the...
and so will the world." And then he got -- And then he got a group of people together and they whitewashed the walls. I've always wanted my stories to jolt people,
Video examples
Unsafe Conditions PIPE...
listen help a bit those up now happen to mention we have no roof on the cabin so everything we really expect to have a roof on today but me we got boards half painted outside I know what that's gonna be like all of our rafters they're gonna like whitewash now how's that gonna affect their schedule it affects your
Video examples
Dave Eggers: 2008 TED...
but we did all the necessary research. It used to be a weight room, so there were rubber floors below, acoustic tile ceilings and fluorescent lights. We took all that down, and we found beautiful wooden floors, whitewashed beams and it had the look -- while we were renovating this place, somebody said,
Video examples
Bassam Tariq: The beauty...
in every moving image, in every cut of meat, because if we whitewash our stories for the sake of mass appeal, not only will we fail, but we will be trumped by those with more money and more resources to tell our stories. But the call for creative courage is not for novelty or relevance.
Video examples
Katlego Kolanyane-Kesupil...
by association rather than out of any act of shame. "Kat" was an international superstar, a fashion and lifestyle writer, a musician, theater producer and performer -- all the things that qualify me to be a mainstream, whitewashed,
Video examples
How fashion helps us...
one by one, until darkness becomes a way of life. However, if I today, then you tomorrow, maybe even more of us someday, if we embrace our right to look like ourselves, then in the world that's been violently whitewashed,
Video examples
The real story of Rosa...
I'm a well-meaning person. I didn't own slaves. I'm not trying to whitewash history. I'm a good guy. I'm a good person." Let me tell you what it has to do with you, and I'll tell it to you by telling you a story
Video examples
A floating peep show PIPE...
that by opening a floating Peep Show it was the most natural thing I could do in the face of the whitewashed predictable suburban lifeless flattened reality that is displacing the very texture of our
Video examples
A 3-Part Plan to Take On...
Shady and verdant internal courtyards with fountains or outside walls that are whitewashed every spring to reflect the hot summer heat, the heat of the hot summers. So compare these to our concrete,
Video examples
What I learned at...
white watches the people out of the painting okay I just have riskier material you're just meeting me and horsing there was a thing at the Supreme Court and he went and whitewashed out
Video examples
How film transforms the...
and so will the world." And then he got -- And then he got a group of people together and they whitewashed the walls. I've always wanted my stories to jolt people,
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Shonda Rhimes
American Producer
There's racist casting, and there is normal casting. Normal casting, to me, is a process that strives for representation and, in many cases, strives to simply portray the world as it actually is instead of as falsely non-inclusive. And sadly, sometimes that involves removing the whitewash that exists on history.
Quote examples
Jay Parini
American Writer
We should never forget that Americans continue to advocate for individual liberty, equality and self-governance. We often step in when it's necessary to help countries in need. But our history needs no whitewashing. To attempt this does us a terrible disservice.
Quote examples
James Wan
Australian Producer
Making a movie with people of all different ethnicity, all different skin color and different backgrounds, meant that the movie can literally play all around the world. It's not just a blanket whitewash film like most Hollywood films tend to be.
Quote examples
Cuco
American Musician
It's cool to see a bunch of brown kids in the crowd. I wanna be a brown artist that they look up to. I didn't see that many artists with my same culture that I looked up to when I was growing up. The industry has always been whitewashed.
Quote examples
Laeta Kalogridis
American Producer
Of course I worry about whitewashing, and I feel very strongly that whitewashing was, is, and continues to be a problem in entertainment.
Quote examples
John Boyega
British Actor
People of color and women are increasingly being shown on-screen. For things to be whitewashed just doesn't make sense.
Quote examples
Ari Aster
American Director
Sometimes you want pain to be acknowledged and not whitewashed - or erased by some exceptionalist point of view.
Quote examples
Gareth Thomas
Welsh Athlete
When you cross the whitewash, you only think about the present.
Quote examples
Henry Golding
British Actor
Hollywood had a history of whitewashing and not representing.
Quote examples
Richard M. Nixon
American President
There will be no whitewash in the White House.
Quote examples
Shonda Rhimes
American Producer
There's racist casting, and there is normal casting. Normal casting, to me, is a process that strives for representation and, in many cases, strives to simply portray the world as it actually is instead of as falsely non-inclusive. And sadly, sometimes that involves removing the whitewash that exists on history.
Quote examples
Jay Parini
American Writer
We should never forget that Americans continue to advocate for individual liberty, equality and self-governance. We often step in when it's necessary to help countries in need. But our history needs no whitewashing. To attempt this does us a terrible disservice.
Quote examples
James Wan
Australian Producer
Making a movie with people of all different ethnicity, all different skin color and different backgrounds, meant that the movie can literally play all around the world. It's not just a blanket whitewash film like most Hollywood films tend to be.
Quote examples
Cuco
American Musician
It's cool to see a bunch of brown kids in the crowd. I wanna be a brown artist that they look up to. I didn't see that many artists with my same culture that I looked up to when I was growing up. The industry has always been whitewashed.
Quote examples
Laeta Kalogridis
American Producer
Of course I worry about whitewashing, and I feel very strongly that whitewashing was, is, and continues to be a problem in entertainment.
Quote examples
John Boyega
British Actor
People of color and women are increasingly being shown on-screen. For things to be whitewashed just doesn't make sense.
Quote examples
Ari Aster
American Director
Sometimes you want pain to be acknowledged and not whitewashed - or erased by some exceptionalist point of view.
Quote examples
Gareth Thomas
Welsh Athlete
When you cross the whitewash, you only think about the present.
Quote examples
Henry Golding
British Actor
Hollywood had a history of whitewashing and not representing.
Quote examples
Richard M. Nixon
American President
There will be no whitewash in the White House.
Example 1 of 10
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