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)
Verb
-
Craig did not stay to field questions from the media, respectfully excused for what a spokesperson described as fatigue from a long day.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026 -
So people tend to define antisemitism in a way that excuses their side, and that throws all of the blame on the other side.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Still, even inside the awards-season bubble, the turmoil surrounding the movie business, the country and the world beyond it was hard to ignore.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
They're exhausted by the constant airing of grievances having little to do with what's actually going on in the country, and by the broad generalizations about, well, everything, that ignore context, nuance and facts to promote a political viewpoint.—
Brenda Looper,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Tesla has worked to secure millions in state and local funding for its Semi, while many in the trucking industry question whether the vehicle’s uneven development timeline justifies such heavy public investment.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Those documents will reveal the grounds the federal government used to justify the FBI’s seizure of 2020 election records last month.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the end, Wirz was their only major conviction, because southern outrage and northern demands to forgive and forget brought an end to the legal effort.—
Drew Gilpin Faust,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
-
With so much attention going, understandably, to Bad Bunny's halftime concert during Super Bowl LX, you'd be forgiven for thinking no one else was performing.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Whitwam explains that Catalina mule deer hunting was traditionally reserved for island residents and their guests, or hunters who were willing to book with a local guide.—
Kris Millgate,
Outdoor Life,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs argued Brady’s role as a sports network broadcaster — not just a Patriots icon — explains his neutral stance.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
On the first day of school during Black History Month, Ruth Duran assigned her sixth graders in the Bronx the story of a key figure overlooked in most history books.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
-
It’s grown on the lush farm of Flamingo Estate — an idyllic hillside orchard overlooking Los Angeles.—
Gretta Monahan,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And on Desaceleradas, Beatriz chooses not to explain away cumbia rebajada’s contradictions, but to celebrate its fundamental mystery.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
7 Jan. 2026
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The historian doesn’t explain away Moore’s infatuation and personal association with the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, who in 1975 invited her to attend a meeting of the Organization of African Unity in Kampala.—
Dara T. Mathis,
The Atlantic,
16 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Gloss (over).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gloss%20%28over%29. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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