as in innocent
free from guilt or blame
the state's lieutenant governor was the only member of the administration who could claim to have remained lily-white during the scandal
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Recent Examples of lily-white
To the naked eye, the sport’s lily-white facade is deeply pervasive.
—
Essence, 17 Oct. 2024
The suburbs have long and deep histories of racial exclusion, creating the lily-white neighborhoods that benefited generations of white families.
—Becky Nicolaides / Made By History, TIME, 15 Aug. 2024
Riding was a lily-white sport there, too, but there wasn’t the same kind of ceiling on what was possible for a Black man.
—Ryan Lenora Brown, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2024
His appearances on otherwise lily-white TV programs such as the Donna Reed Show, Bewitched, or the Ed Sullivan Show, played a landmark role in the culture.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 19 June 2024
Follow Thomas through the lily-white halls of his suburban school that contrasted sharply with his urban neighborhood, trying to reconcile his sexuality with the Christianity that raised him, the exhaustion of code-switching, covering the 2016 election and everything that came after.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 30 May 2024
These crowds heckled her during performances and complained to promoters about the invasion of a previously lily-white space.
—Kimberly Bryant, Essence, 29 Mar. 2024
The main protagonist, Audrey (Ashley Park), a successful lawyer who was adopted from China by a White American couple, has been best friends with Lolo (Sherry Cola) since childhood, bonding over being two of the few Asians in their almost lily-white hometown.
—Olivia McCormack, Washington Post, 5 July 2023
The sun beats down so fiercely on a lily-white tablecloth that the co-CEOs and co-chairpeople of the Warner Bros. Film Group shield themselves with Gucci and Ray-Ban shades.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 14 June 2023
Essence, 17 Oct. 2024
The suburbs have long and deep histories of racial exclusion, creating the lily-white neighborhoods that benefited generations of white families.
—Becky Nicolaides / Made By History, TIME, 15 Aug. 2024
Riding was a lily-white sport there, too, but there wasn’t the same kind of ceiling on what was possible for a Black man.
—Ryan Lenora Brown, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2024
His appearances on otherwise lily-white TV programs such as the Donna Reed Show, Bewitched, or the Ed Sullivan Show, played a landmark role in the culture.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 19 June 2024
Follow Thomas through the lily-white halls of his suburban school that contrasted sharply with his urban neighborhood, trying to reconcile his sexuality with the Christianity that raised him, the exhaustion of code-switching, covering the 2016 election and everything that came after.
—Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 30 May 2024
These crowds heckled her during performances and complained to promoters about the invasion of a previously lily-white space.
—Kimberly Bryant, Essence, 29 Mar. 2024
The main protagonist, Audrey (Ashley Park), a successful lawyer who was adopted from China by a White American couple, has been best friends with Lolo (Sherry Cola) since childhood, bonding over being two of the few Asians in their almost lily-white hometown.
—Olivia McCormack, Washington Post, 5 July 2023
The sun beats down so fiercely on a lily-white tablecloth that the co-CEOs and co-chairpeople of the Warner Bros. Film Group shield themselves with Gucci and Ray-Ban shades.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 14 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lily-white
Adjective
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The message was clear: Even if your group is defined by targeting innocent people, the Biden-Harris White House will bestow the same legitimacy upon you as any nation-state by granting you a seat at the negotiating table.Pat Fallon, National Review, 3 Nov. 2024
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Investigators believe the two men who were injured were innocent bystanders, police said.Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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There may be practical reasons that your friend won’t get his way, but his argument, unlike his driving, is irreproachable.Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 12 June 2024
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Jefferson points out that there is great pressure on men of the Morehouse variety to prove wrong the racist stereotypes of Black males as being lazy or criminal — to embrace a kind of Barack Obama masculinity that is solid and irreproachable.Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Adjective
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Many fans found its generally joyous treatment of Miranda’s guiltless affair with Che, a nonbinary comedian, in the first season off-putting.Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 21 June 2023
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In the wake of Franco’s death, in 1975, came the pacto del olvido, or pact of oblivion—a determination, enshrined in the Amnesty Law of 1977, to brush away the vestiges of former crimes and hence to move onward with a guiltless transition to democracy.Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 24 Dec. 2021
Thesaurus Entries Near lily-white
Cite this Entry
“Lily-white.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lily-white. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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