wash out
Britishverb
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(tr) to wash (the inside of something) so as to remove (dirt)
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Also: wash off. to remove or be removed by washing
grass stains don't wash out easily
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(tr) to cancel or abandon (a sporting event)
noun
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geology
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erosion of the earth's surface by the action of running water
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a narrow channel produced by this erosion
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informal
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a total failure or disaster
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an incompetent person
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a sporting or social event that is cancelled due to rain
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aeronautics a decrease in the angle of attack of an aircraft wing towards the wing tip
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Remove or be removed by washing; also, cause to fade by laundering. For example, Give it to me; I'll wash out that stain , or The bleach has really washed out that bright print . [Mid-1700s]
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Wear away or be worn away by the flow of water, as in The river rose and washed out the dam , or The road has completely washed out . [Mid-1700s]
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Deplete or be depleted of energy, as in Working on her feet all day just washed her out , or I just washed out after that long tennis match . [Mid-1800s]
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Eliminate or be eliminated as unsatisfactory, as in He washed out of medical school after just one year , or After only two months as chairman I washed out . [ Colloquial ; early 1900s]
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Cancel owing to bad weather, as in The picnic was washed out . [ Colloquial ; early 1900s] Also see washed out .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On land, habitats for hedgehogs, field voles and other small mammals have been washed out, resulting in them being pushed out of their homes and drowning.
From BBC
Momentum readings look washed out, sentiment has cooled, and price is holding key support.
From Barron's
Sri Lanka are bottom of Super Eights Group 2 on zero points, below New Zealand and Pakistan on one point each after their match on Saturday was washed out.
From Barron's
American Chloe Kim washed out on her final run, falling short of a historic third consecutive snowboard gold medal at the Winter Olympics on Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times
“Maybe any trees still standing after the earthquake were washed out by the river. That water is moving.”
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
