1. the act of applying whitewash (a white liquid mixture) to walls, fences, or other surfaces
2. the practice of concealing or glossing over wrongdoing, failures, or unpleasant facts
Usage: often disapproving
3. the practice of casting white actors in roles originally written for people of color
Usage: film and theater

1. present participle of whitewash: to apply whitewash to a surface
2. present participle of whitewash: to conceal or gloss over wrongdoing or unpleasant facts
Usage: often disapproving

Examples

• The old barn needed whitewashing before winter.
• Critics accused the report of whitewashing the company’s environmental violations.
• The film faced criticism for whitewashing the lead character.
• They spent the weekend whitewashing the garden fence.
• The investigation was seen as a whitewashing of the scandal.
• Hollywood has a long history of whitewashing Asian characters.
• He was whitewashing the basement walls when I arrived.