a composition, as of lime and water or of whiting, size, and water, used for whitening walls, woodwork, etc.
anything, as deceptive words or actions, used to cover up or gloss over faults, errors, or wrongdoings, or absolve a wrongdoer from blame.
SportsInformal. a defeat in which the loser fails to score.
verb (used with object)
to whiten with whitewash.
to cover up or gloss over the faults or errors of; absolve from blame.
SportsInformal. to defeat by keeping the opponent from scoring: The home team whitewashed the visitors eight to nothing.
to cast a white actor to play (a character of color, or a character belonging to a minority group) in a film, television show, or play:The studio executives whitewashed the role of Genghis Khan, choosing a famous white actor who was a popular box-office draw.
to exclude or erase (a minority character or group) by substituting a member or members of the dominant cultural group in fictional representations of historical events:The film whitewashes Black trans women, attributing their contributions and actions to white gay men.See also erase (def. 6).
White Van Man, white vitriol, White Volta, whitewall, white walnut, whitewash, whitewater, white water lily, whitewater rafting, white wax, white whale
In the latest Weekly Standard can be found an editorial under the headline “The Benghazi Whitewash.”
Rand Paul Won’t Let Benghazi Die|Olivia Nuzzi|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Plus, on cable you no longer have to whitewash the story and appease the masses, so the narratives are getting more interesting.
Jeremy Renner Opens Up About Marriage, His Problems with the Media, and the Future of Hawk-Eye|Marlow Stern|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She must whitewash these brown men and women, rid them of their savage, slavish ways, and repaint them in her own image.
The Abused Wives of Westeros: A Song of Feminism in ‘Game of Thrones’|Amy Zimmerman|April 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I just wasn't cut out to be a whitewash salesman, so to speak.
Bob Kurland, the First Player to Dunk, Was a Pioneer for Big Men|Kevin Fixler|March 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How could she have allowed herself to whitewash such monstrosity?
The Fall of India’s Conscience|Tunku Varadarajan|November 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Tommy Bung was ready for the audience and had already fallen into a tub of whitewash.
A Bed of Roses|W. L. George
A tengu-painter makes a long-handled brush to whitewash the ceiling, by strapping it to his nose.
Japanese Fairy World|William Elliot Griffis
Whitewash, a glass of sherry as a finale, after drinking port and claret.
The Slang Dictionary|John Camden Hotten
There was no lack of material; boys happened along every little while; they came to jeer, but remained to whitewash.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Finally I owned up to myself that I'd made a mistake; the girl was a whitewashed tombstone and the whitewash was rubbing thin.
Cape Cod Stories|Joseph C. Lincoln
British Dictionary definitions for whitewash
whitewash
/ (ˈwaɪtˌwɒʃ) /
noun
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
informaldeceptive or specious words or actions intended to conceal defects, gloss over failings, etc
informala defeat in a sporting contest in which the loser is beaten in every match, game, etc in a seriesthey face the prospect of a whitewash in the five-test series
verb(tr)
to cover or whiten with whitewash
informalto conceal, gloss over, or suppress
informalto defeat (an opponent or opposing team) by winning every match in a series