whitewash
/ˈwaɪtwɒʃ/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈaɪtwˌɑʃ] /ˈwaɪtwɑːʃ/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈaɪtwˌɑʃ] /ˈ(h)wīt-ˌwȯsh How to pronounce whitewash (audio) -ˌwäsh/ (ame, mw) · /ˈwaɪt.wɒʃ/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈaɪtwˌɑʃ] /ˈwaɪt.wɑːʃ/ (ame, ipa)
whitewash — noun
- whitewashsingular
- whitewashesplural
1. A white, watery paint made from lime or chalk powder mixed with water, used to g
A white, watery paint made from lime or chalk powder mixed with water, used to give walls and ceilings a bright white finish.
The farmer mixed a bucket of whitewash to paint the chicken coop walls.
countable: a bucket of whitewash
Grandma asked us to apply fresh whitewash to the garden shed before summer.
In the old days, people used whitewash to keep their cottage walls clean and bright.
The workers brushed whitewash onto the ceiling of the village school last Tuesday.
- limewash
more specific; made with slaked lime rather than chalk
- white paint
broader category; includes modern paints that are not water-and-lime based
文法句型
a bucket of whitewash
coat of whitewash
用法筆記
Most modern households use emulsion paint instead of traditional whitewash. The word still appears when describing historical buildings or rural construction methods.
2. A report or investigation that deliberately hides unpleasant facts so that peopl
A report or investigation that deliberately hides unpleasant facts so that people think a bad situation is acceptable.
The mayor's investigation was a whitewash meant to protect his colleagues from blame.
countable: a whitewash + passive 'was a whitewash'
Environmental groups called the report a whitewash because it ignored the factory's pollution.
Journalists accused the committee of producing a whitewash instead of a real inquiry.
The company issued a whitewash of its safety problems, not a proper review.
- cover-up
more informal and slightly broader; can refer to the act not just the document
- concealment
more formal; implies intentional hiding of evidence
- exposure
the opposite of hiding facts — making the truth known
- revelation
bringing hidden facts into the open
文法句型
a whitewash of [scandal/failure]
called it a whitewash
用法筆記
Commonly appears in news reporting about politics, corporate scandals, or institutional failures.
常見錯誤
3. A situation in a sports series where one side wins every match, often in such a
A situation in a sports series where one side wins every match, often in such a one-sided way that the losers never score at all.
The home team suffered a 5–0 whitewash in the first match of the season.
collocation: suffer a whitewash + score
Fans were disappointed by the whitewash in the finals — their team scored zero.
Suzuki's team faced a whitewash when they lost every game in the tournament.
A whitewash in the series meant the champions kept the trophy without losing any games.
- shutout
more common in American English; can refer to a single game where the opponent scores zero
- clean sweep
winning all games in a series, but not necessarily by keeping the opponent scoreless
文法句型
suffer a whitewash
face a whitewash
用法筆記
Used mainly in British English for sports like cricket and rugby where a series of matches is common. In American English the equivalent term is 'shutout'.
whitewash — verb
- whitewashpresent simple I / you / we / they
- whitewashes3rd person singular
- whitewashing-ing form
- whitewashedpast simple
1. To deliberately prevent the public from learning the truth about a dishonest or
To deliberately prevent the public from learning the truth about a dishonest or shameful event, especially by presenting a false, more acceptable version.
The company tried to whitewash its role in the oil spill by deleting internal emails.
try + to-infinitive: deliberate intention
Government officials attempted to whitewash the prison conditions before the UN visit.
Critics say the museum's exhibition whitewashes the violent history of the colonial period.
Lena refused to whitewash the mistake and insisted on reporting it to the manager.
The documentary was criticized for whitewashing the general's involvement in the coup.
- cover up
phrasal verb; more informal and slightly less deliberate-sounding
- gloss over
focuses on making something look better rather than concealing it; less thorough
文法句型
whitewash + noun phrase
attempt to whitewash
try to whitewash
用法筆記
Often carries a moral judgment — the speaker implies that hiding the truth is wrong. Commonly followed by a noun referring to a person's record, an event, or an organization's conduct.
常見錯誤
2. To defeat an opponent in a contest by such a wide margin that the other side end
To defeat an opponent in a contest by such a wide margin that the other side ends the match or series without scoring at all.
The Brazilian team whitewashed their opponents 4–0 in the quarter-final match.
active: whitewash + opponent + score
Our school's chess club whitewashed the defending champions in the city tournament.
Amara's team was whitewashed in the final and did not win a single round.
No one expected the visitors to whitewash the top-ranked team by such a wide margin.
- lose to
the opposite perspective — being defeated instead of defeating
文法句型
whitewash + opponent
be whitewashed by + opponent
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 ('COVER-UP'): the sports sense has no moral implication. The verb takes the winning side as the subject.
3. To cover a wall, fence, or building surface with a thin white mixture of lime or
To cover a wall, fence, or building surface with a thin white mixture of lime or chalk and water.
The villagers whitewashed their houses every spring to keep them looking fresh.
whitewash + house/wall — typical object
Mr. Chen spent the weekend whitewashing the fence around his vegetable garden.
The landlord whitewashed the kitchen walls before the new family moved into the flat.
In the countryside, many farmers still whitewash their barns using traditional methods.
- paint white
broader; includes modern paint, not just lime-based whitewash
文法句型
whitewash + object (wall/fence/barn)
用法筆記
The literal paint sense is the original meaning from which the metaphorical senses developed. It is much less common in daily conversation than the 'cover-up' sense.