gloss (over)

verb

Definition of gloss (over)next
1
as in to excuse
to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses I don't want to gloss over her misbehavior, but keep in mind that she's been under a lot of stress lately

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to ignore
to dismiss as of little importance this biographer tends to gloss over his subject's many character flaws

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gloss (over)
  1. excuse
  2. ignore
  3. justify
  4. forgive
  5. explain
  6. overlook
  7. explain away
Verb
  • For me, the larger question is not whether artistic behavior excuses transgression, but how to hold artistic achievement and ethical accountability together without allowing one to erase the other.
    — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • But fears of future intimidation do not excuse preemptive capitulation.
    — Ivan Oransky, STAT, 31 July 2026
Definition of excuse
Verb
  • Renner said Donalds is ignoring base Republican voters in his campaign, especially by refusing to debate him, Collins and conservative activist and investor James Fishback.
    — Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • The simple, rather depressing, and completely overwhelming fact of the matter is that the Marvel Cinematic Universe cannot be ignored, even as superhero fatigue has definitively set in at the global box office.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of ignore
Verb
  • Other South China Sea claimant states use the ruling to justify their own actions—and are sharply denounced by China each time.
    — Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • In the past, summers have not been hot enough to justify the trouble for most homes.
    — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
Definition of justify
Verb
  • With the Great Wealth Transfer scheduled to get underway in the next few decades, younger generations could be forgiven for thinking a windfall might be coming their way.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 July 2026
  • Find the less desirable line, however, and the hole remains forgiving enough to leave a straightforward approach and an excellent chance to make par.
    — Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of forgive
Verb
  • Rasa is also using AI to draft the statements that get sent to court, explaining to the judge why the expungement should be approved.
    — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Malloy crisscrossed the state during his first few months in office, holding 17 town meetings to explain the fiscal ticking time bomb represented by unfunded pension obligations.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of explain
Verb
  • Students from Rebel Song Academy, Harmony Project and Base Academy of Music will all take the stage, while Stars Out, a youth performance group, will perform songs connected to Kansas City musicians whose contributions are often overlooked.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • The main bedroom and balcony overlook a wooden garden; inside, the interiors are flooded with light.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 31 July 2026
Definition of overlook
Verb
  • How these experiences may be misclassified The symptoms that women in their late 30s, 40s, and early 50s commonly experience are, individually, easy to explain away.
    — Matt Emma, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
  • However, these people don't need prediction markets to concoct some conspiracy theory to explain away why their candidate lost.
    — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 27 July 2026
Definition of explain away
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.

Browse Nearby Words

glossing (over)
gloss (over)
glossy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gloss (over).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gloss%20%28over%29. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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