whitewash

whitewash

1. informal To conceal, gloss over, or suppress something negative. (From the practice of coating surfaces, such as walls and fences, in a mixture of lime and water called whitewash.) The CEO tried to whitewash the poor financial results at the investors' meeting. We have our suspicions that the police are whitewashing the suspect's death.
2. slang To change something in order to have a stronger presence or more favorable depiction of Caucasian people. There has been a huge outcry accusing the movie studio of trying to whitewash the adaptation of the Japanese manga. I think it's important to teach these atrocities in school. You can't just whitewash the history of our country.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

whitewash

1. tv. to make something look better than it really is; to conceal something bad. Now, don’t try to whitewash this incident. Open up about it.
2. n. an act or campaign of covering up something bad. They tried to give the scandal the old whitewash, but it didn’t work.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

whitewash, a

A glossing over of bad conduct, dishonesty, or other misdeeds. Using clean paint as a metaphor for concealing misconduct dates at least from the early eighteenth century. “The greater part of whitewashing is done with ink,” wrote George D. Prentice (Prenticeana, 1860).
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • whitewash, a
  • catch a tiger by the tail
  • the blame for (something)
  • be had up (for something)
  • cook the books
  • cook the accounts
  • blame for
  • blame for (something)
  • blamed
  • crush it
References in periodicals archive
However, Bangladesh's ranking has been unchanged despite being whitewashed in the three-match ODI series at the hand of Sri Lanka but they lost four valuable rating points to let Lankans breathe on them heavily.
Shaiful leads bowling chart
There have only been three whitewashes in the 137 year history of the series.
The Ashes 2019 - what price an England whitewash? Ashes series are unpredictable - but does anyone believe England can whitewash their oldest rivals?
Lawyer Neri Colmenares, Bayan Muna chair, said China's explanation that the Chinese fishing vessel accidentally hit the Filipino boat in panic because it was under siege by other Filipino boats was just an introductory statement leading to a whitewash.
Bayan Muna: No justice can be expected from China
But Kevin Hollinrake, co-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking, said: "This report is another complete whitewash and another demonstrable failure of the regulator to perform its role."
ANGER AS RBS LET OFF HOOK; For live business news visit city desk
Not since John Parrott thrashed Eddie Charlton 10-0 in 1992 has the Sheffield venue witnessed a whitewash.
Robbo is taking the Michael
"We're tired of people stealing our stuff off the streets and re-selling it so I'm just going to buy everything I can get my hands on and whitewash it."
Artist pays [pounds sterling]561,000 for Banksy mural on London Poundland - so he can DESTROY it; Ron English plans to whitewash 'Slave Labour, which depicts a child kneeling at a sewing machine producing a string of Union Jack bunting
The 24-year-old ranked number one in Twenty20s hit a punishing 58-ball 79 with seven boundaries and two sixes as Pakistan whitewashed New Zealand 3-0 with a comfortable 47-run win in the third and final match in Dubai on Sunday.
Babar Azam dedicates his 'milestone' to differently-abled people world over
LAHORE -- Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Monday kept the same winning combination against New Zealand for the three-match Twenty20 series, which whitewashed Australia in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
PCB keeps winning combination for New Zealand T20s
Joshi questioned: "Do you think Rajkumar Hirani, at this time in his career, would spend three years of his life just to whitewash somebody?"
Raju Hirani hits back at 'Sanju' critics
Buttler then had to bat against type as he finally found lasting support from Adil Rashid in a ninth-wicket stand of 81, and then scrambled the last 11 runs alongside number 11 Jake Ball, to carry England to the first 5-0 whitewash of their Ashes rivals in any format, with nine balls to spare.
Brilliant Buttler takes England to whitewash; Cricket
Once the game's done and once you have got the whitewash then you've got things to talk about."
RASHID WILL FORGET ABOUT RUSSIA
Expectedly, the advisory board is proving to be nothing but an instrument used by the Myanmar government to whitewash the crimes of the military.
'Whitewashing' Genocide in Myanmar
Higgins also lost to eventual winner Neil Robertson but was pleased with his performance especially against O'Sullivan who picked up his first whitewash against him in 23 years.
Wizard's revenge on Rocket Ronnie
AUGHTON Institute E took sole leadership of Division One as they chalked up their fourth win in four with a superb 6-0 whitewash of Skelmersdale Wardens A.
Aughton out in front; ORMSKIRK