Definition of "whitewash"

whitewash

/ˈwaɪtwɒʃ/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural whitewashes
1. A lime and water mixture for painting walls and fences bright white.
  Quotations
  For walls plaster gave a smooth white surface; or if it was not sufficiently white, or had become discoloured, it could be brightened up with a coat of whitewash or paint.
  1952, L. F. Salzman, Building in England, page 157
2. (sports) A complete victory or series of victories without suffering any losses; a clean sweep.
  Quotations
  For the first time in a long time, Australia are being threatened with the prospect of a 5-0 whitewash
  2010, Andrew Miller, Cricinfo
3. (politics) A campaign to paper over unfavorable elements; (everyday life) pretense.
  Quotations
  “She has developed an arrogance of power,” Mr. Richardson said by telephone during a layover in Tokyo on his way back to New Mexico from Myanmar. “I’ve known her a long time and am fond of her, but she basically is unwilling to listen to bad news, and I don’t want to be part of a whitewash.”
  2018 January 24, Hannah Beech, Rick Gladstone, “Citing ‘Whitewash,’ Bill Richardson Quits Rohingya Post”, in New York Times‎
  A report by the City watchdog into the scandal at Royal Bank of Scotland’s turnaround unit has been described as a whitewash after the regulator confirmed it would not punish the bank for mistreating business customers following the financial crash.
  2019 June 13, Kalyeena Makortoff, “FCA report into RBS called a 'complete whitewash' by critics”, in The Guardian‎
4. (cooking) The most basic type of thickening agent, flour blended with water to make a paste.
5. (obsolete) Any liquid composition for whitening something, such as a wash for making the skin fair.
  Quotations
  I have heard a whole Sermon against a White-wash.
  1713, Joseph Addison, The Guardian
6. (UK, slang, obsolete) A glass of sherry as a finale, after drinking port and claret.
  Quotations
  The bottles, however, were port bottles, but contained mushroom ketchup; and we can only say with regard to the 15s. sherry, that it would have made an admirable "whitewash," as Sheridan's glass is still sometimes called, […]
  1883, Cassell's Dictionary of Cookery, page lxxxiii
  Sercial was also used as a sort of white-wash after the Port at dinner, those were the days when people had time to drink both Port and a White wash.
  1950, Wine & the Wine Trade, page 28
verb
third-person singular simple present whitewashes, present participle whitewashing, simple past and past participle whitewashed
1. To paint over with a lime and water mixture so as to brighten up a wall or fence.
2. (figurative) To cover over errors or bad actions.
  Quotations
  The books have yet to be written. But there is no question that Ms. Park and her Saenuri Party will whitewash the past to bolster the conservative cause at the expense of the education system and South Korea’s international reputation as a democracy, and harm Seoul’s attempt to hold Japan accountable for its wartime conduct.
  2015 November 12, Se-Woong Koo, “South Korea’s Textbook Whitewash”, in New York Times‎
3. (dated, transitive) To repay the financial debts of (another person).
4. (baseball, slang, dated, late, 19th century, archaic) To prevent a team from scoring any runs.
5. (US, UK, slang) In various games, to defeat (an opponent) so that they fail to score, or to reach a certain point in the game; to skunk.
6. (derogatory) To make over (a person or character, a group, an event, etc) so that it is or seems more white, for example by applying makeup to a person, or by discounting the participation of people of color in an event and focusing on only white participation.
  Quotations
  If you appreciate historical accuracy and fair inclusion, don’t go see this film. If you don’t want to fuel the economy at another Hollywood attempt of whitewashing American history, don’t give any aspect of this film a single dime or promotion.
  2015 June 8, Ernest Owens, “Hollywood, Don't You Dare Whitewash Stonewall”, in HuffPost‎
  From Scarlett Johansson’s heroine in the remake of the anime classic to Tilda Swinton as a Himalayan high priest in Doctor Strange, the film industry stands accused of whitewashing Asian characters and culture. Does it have a defence?
  2017 March 31, Steve Rose, “Ghost in the Shell’s whitewashing: does Hollywood have an Asian problem?”, in The Guardian‎
  The ad, which also features her compatriot Kei Nishikori, drew criticism on social media, with many users accusing Nissin of whitewashing Osaka, whose mother is Japanese.
  2019 January 23, Justin McCurry, “Naomi Osaka sponsor apologises for 'whitewashing' tennis star in ad”, in The Guardian‎