papering over

verb

present participle of paper over
1
as in ignoring
to dismiss as of little importance the differences between the two factions are too great to be papered over in the name of party unity

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hiding
to keep secret or shut off from view the company tried to paper over its red ink, issuing assurances that it was still financially sound

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of papering over But the results were papering over some crumbly performances. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025 But many residents worry that the festive mood and infrastructure works risk papering over the security crisis that still affects their daily lives. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 June 2026 The improvement between Gemini 2 and Gemini 3 may be papering over a more serious flaw. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 8 Apr. 2026 If lawmakers are serious about affordability and homeownership, this is the structural reform that actually solves the problem rather than papering over it. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026 Yet the money manager remains hopeful that fiscal stimulus — more government spending coupled with consumer and business tax breaks — from last year's One Big Beautiful Bill will start to take effect in a few months, papering over any nascent economic weakness. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for papering over
  1. ignoring
  2. hiding
  3. forgiving
  4. concealing
  5. overlooking
  6. obscuring
  7. passing over
  8. covering
Verb
  • Make Participation Effortless Reduce friction to the point where using it feels like less effort than ignoring it.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • For example, today, Americans might believe that the demands of racial equity or of evangelical Christianity are so pressing that executive power would be justified in ignoring the legislature or the judiciary to serve them.
    — Robert A. Ballingall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of ignoring
Verb
  • Failing to disclose or intentionally hiding assets can make a prenup more vulnerable to being challenged in court.
    — Jasmin Suknanan, CNBC, 6 July 2026
  • The find suggests one of NASA’s most successful planet hunters may still have plenty of surprises hiding in its archives.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 6 July 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • This is why much of the safety discussion still feels too forgiving to me.
    — Tetiana Aleksandrova, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Shoppers note that the shorts are roomy and don’t bunch up, and that the elastic waistband is forgiving even while bloated.
    — Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2026
Definition of forgiving
Verb
  • The government views concealing information about a student’s gender identity, even to parents who may not be accepting of that information, as an interference with their rights as parents.
    — Sofi Zeman July 1, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
  • The proud mom shared pictures of her and Green, 29, cuddling their little one in the hospital room, concealing the newborn's face in the snaps.
    — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
Definition of concealing
Verb
  • Surveillance cameras captured a person dressed in dark clothing on a nearby roof overlooking the courtyard less than ten minutes before the killing, prosecutors said in charging documents.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • That’s adjacent to what is technically a closetless third bedroom, overlooking the leafy treescape, although the listing is staged with it as a separate living room.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 6 July 2026
Definition of overlooking
Verb
  • Also, there are important players coming back from significant injuries, obscuring the picture.
    — David Aldridge, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • The lens has a Ri-Pel coating that allows for water and sweat to bead up and slide off the surface, rather than obscuring vision.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 June 2026
Definition of obscuring
Verb
  • On Wednesday, there is a significant chance of more thunderstorms likely to redevelop along a cold front passing over far eastern Illinois and northwest Indiana, officials said.
    — Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
  • Subtle audio tracks the sound of ice on the move, views of clouds passing over glass-like ice, and there's the eventual memorial for Ok.
    — Erika Owen, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 June 2026
Definition of passing over
Verb
  • Robbie Ray threw six efficient innings after regrouping from a fall while covering first base, Willy Adames hit a two-run double as part of a four-run opening frame and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 6-4 on Saturday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 July 2026
  • Maybe Bill Plaschke would be aware of that, and give due credit, if his hometown major newspaper bothered to have a dedicated correspondent covering one of the city’s NBA teams.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of covering

Browse Nearby Words

papered over
papering over
paper money
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Cite this Entry

“Papering over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/papering%20over. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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