paper over
verb
papered over; papering over; papers over
1
: to gloss over, explain away, or patch up (differences, disparities, etc.) especially in order to maintain a semblance of unity or agreement
Examples of paper over in a Sentence
the differences between the two factions are too great to be papered over in the name of party unity
the company tried to paper over its red ink, issuing assurances that it was still financially sound
Recent Examples on the Web
Shaq started to answer and then crinkled a piece of paper over the microphone to muffle his response.
—
MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
But in short, this feels a lot like a team that was good but not elite last year, lost one of their best players, and now isn’t getting top-tier goaltending to paper over the problems.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The recent San Diego fee increases, which aside from Measure C were not directly approved by voters, will help but won’t solve the city’s structural budget deficit that has been papered over for years.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
While political violence decreased, his heavy-handed rule papered over France’s wounds without healing them.
—Time, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paper over
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MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
But in short, this feels a lot like a team that was good but not elite last year, lost one of their best players, and now isn’t getting top-tier goaltending to paper over the problems.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The recent San Diego fee increases, which aside from Measure C were not directly approved by voters, will help but won’t solve the city’s structural budget deficit that has been papered over for years.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
While political violence decreased, his heavy-handed rule papered over France’s wounds without healing them.
—Time, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paper over
Cite this Entry
“Paper over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paper%20over. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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