Background for whitewashed

whitewashed

/ˈwaɪtˌwɔʃt/ /ˈhwaɪtˌwɔʃt/

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verb

To paint over with a lime and water mixture so as to brighten up a wall or fence.

Examples :

"The houses looked very bright when they whitewashed the whole neighborhood."

architecture material appearance

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verb

To cover over errors or bad actions.

Examples :

"The company whitewashed its history of environmental damage by focusing only on its recent investments in green technology. "

action moral guilt politics government society

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verb

To repay the financial debts of (another person).

Examples :

""Because her son had accumulated significant gambling debts, the worried mother whitewashed him by paying off all the money he owed." "

finance business economy

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verb

(late, 19th century) To prevent a team from scoring any runs.

Examples :

"The visiting team was completely whitewashed; they didn't score a single run against our pitcher. "

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verb

In various games, to defeat (an opponent) so that they fail to score, or to reach a certain point in the game; to skunk.

Examples :

"The team whitewashed their rivals in the final game, scoring 10 goals to their opponent's zero. "

sport game entertainment

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verb

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 covering over the participation of people of color in an event and focusing on only white participation.

Examples :

"The movie was criticized for having whitewashed history by casting a white actor to play a character who was originally a person of color. "

culture politics history society race appearance character media

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adjective

Of or pertaining to a fence or wall that has been painted with the temporary paint whitewash.

Examples :

"The whitewashed fence gleamed brightly in the summer sun. "

appearance property architecture

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adjective

Having had any controversy or potential for scandal removed, ignored or downplayed.

Examples :

"The company's report on the safety incident felt whitewashed, focusing on minor improvements while ignoring the systemic failures that caused the accident. "

culture media politics history

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adjective

Portrayed by a Caucasian actor but was scripted to be African, Asian, or of another race.

Examples :

"The movie was criticized because the hero, originally written as a Japanese samurai, was whitewashed and played by a white actor. "

culture media entertainment race

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adjective

Looking Caucasian, but is actually African, Asian, or of another race; Caucasianized.

Examples :

""Growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood, Maria felt her cultural identity became somewhat whitewashed, as she adopted many of the local customs and lost touch with her heritage." "

race culture appearance human