Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of whitewash

6 similar words · 1 opposite word

Another word for whitewash is limewash. Other synonyms of whitewash are cover up, gloss over, paper over, skunk and bleach.

Synonyms and similar words for whitewash

nounA mixture of a powdered mineral substance (often slaked lime (containing calcium hydroxide), chalk...

  • limewashA mixture of slaked lime in water, used as a paint or a paintlike coating.

verbTo hide (someone's) mistakes, or to create an appearance of honesty, propriety, etc., for...

  • cover up
  • gloss overTo cover up a mistake or a crime; to hush up or whitewash.
  • paper overTo superficially hide or disguise (a problem or a defect) without addressing it; to provide a veneer of normality or...

verbTo achieve a complete victory or series of victories over (an opponent) without suffering any...

verbSynonym of bleach (“to treat (fabric) with a substance which lightens or whitens”).

  • bleachTo treat with bleach, especially so as to whiten (fabric, paper, etc.) or lighten (hair).

Opposite of whitewash

nounA thing used to hide mistakes, or to create an appearance of honesty, propriety, etc.; also (often...

  • blackwashA whitewash victory for any New Zealand national sporting team.

Meaning of whitewash

  1. noun A mixture of a powdered mineral substance (often slaked lime (containing calcium hydroxide), chalk (calcium carbonate), or both) and water which is used for painting surfaces such as fences and walls bright white.
  2. noun A thing used to hide mistakes, or to create an appearance of honesty, propriety, etc.; also (often politics), an act of hiding mistakes or creating an appearance of honesty, propriety, etc.; especially, a campaign, investigation, etc., which intentionally hides or overlooks unfavourable facts.
  3. noun An act of clearing a person's debts, especially through a declaration of bankruptcy by a court.

Full definition of whitewash

whitewash in other languages

Questions about synonyms of whitewash

What is another word for whitewash?
Whitewash has 6 synonyms on Word.ws, such as limewash, cover up, gloss over, paper over, skunk and bleach.
What is the opposite of whitewash?
The opposite of whitewash is blackwash.
What does whitewash mean?
Whitewash means a mixture of a powdered mineral substance (often slaked lime (containing calcium hydroxide), chalk (calcium carbonate), or both) and water which is used for painting surfaces such as fences and walls bright white.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: whitewash (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of whitewash.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/whitewash. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.