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Glite Dictionary
to whitewash the issues

to whitewash the issues

8.4
To hide problems or make them seem less serious
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈwaɪtˌwɔʃ ði ˈɪʃuz/
translation icon : ocultar los problemas
  • The politician was accused of trying to whitewash the issues surrounding his controversial decisions.

Examples

  • The manager attempted to whitewash the issues related to employee dissatisfaction during the meeting.

  • General Douglas MacArthur, for example, whitewashed the issue of collaboration with the Japanese, especially in the case of Manuel Roxas, and thus restored to power the pre-war landed elite he needed to re-establish the old order.

    Academic text (1993)

  • During the investigation, they tried to whitewash the issues that had caused the company's financial troubles.

Synonyms

to gloss
vsto whitewash the issues
23 8.0

To make something sound better to hide problems

focuses more on deliberate concealment and minimizing for a better image
to gloss over
vsto whitewash the issues
22 6.5

Make a problem or mistake seem less serious by leaving out details

is stronger concealment aiming to show innocence rather than gentle understatement
to whitewash
vsto whitewash the issues
12 6.0

To hide bad facts to make something seem better

focuses on deliberate downplaying to present an innocent appearance
to sweep under the rug
vsto whitewash the issues
  • Informal
8 7.7

To hide a problem instead of dealing with it openly

focuses on deliberate concealment and making matters seem harmless
to paper over
vsto whitewash the issues
  • Informal
5 7.9

Try to hide problems instead of dealing with them

is more about deliberate minimization to create a falsely innocent impression
to whitewash the scandal
vsto whitewash the issues
7.5

To try to hide a scandal by giving wrong information to the public

emphasizes deliberate minimization to make problems seem innocent
to soft-pedal the issue
vsto whitewash the issues
7.7

Treat a problem as less important to avoid dealing with it

is about deliberate concealment and making faults appear innocent
to push under the carpet
vsto whitewash the issues
  • UK
7.3

To ignore or hide problems instead of dealing with them

is used to deliberately downplay faults to present a guiltless image
to hide the dirt
vsto whitewash the issues
  • Informal
8.2

To keep secret wrong actions or mistakes from other people

is broader applying to many faults beyond just criminal evidence
to fudge the details
vsto whitewash the issues
  • Informal
7.7

Change facts on purpose to make something seem better

focuses on general concealment and minimizing rather than altering specific facts

Antonyms

to address
∞ 3.6

To deal with a subject in speech or writing

to expose
342 4.1

Reveal hidden facts or bad actions to people

How Deceptive

to cover up
314 3.7
to whitewash the issues
8.4
to gloss over
22 6.5
to downplay
59 5.3

Surface Forms

whitewash the issues infinitive
whitewashing the issues present participle
whitewashes the issues third person singular
whitewashed the issues past
whitewashed the issues past participle

Morphology

whitewash + the + issue

The verb 'whitewash' already carries the meaning 'to gloss over or cover unpleasant facts', so when combined with 'the issues' the phrase directly means to minimize or conceal those problems. The definite article doesn't change compositionality, and a B1 learner who knows 'whitewash' and 'issue' will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The phrase whitewash the issues comes from the old use of whitewash, a thin white paint people used to cover dirty walls and hide stains. So, to whitewash the issues means 'to hide problems or make them seem smaller' instead of fixing them.