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
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Oddly, Oh doesn’t seem to express the bereavement that is Olivia’s reason—or excuse—for withdrawing from the world of men.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025 -
His life defies the easy narratives of the internet, challenging us to recognize excellence without excusing behavior.—
Ethan Bauer,
Rolling Stone,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Somehow the checkers are ignoring the fact that Trump was referring to the five-year period.—
John R. Lott Jr,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Aug. 2025
-
This isn’t about weakening rights or ignoring the role of guns.—
For the Carroll County Times,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Instead, it is used symbolically: to impress investors, manage employee morale, and justify corporate restructuring.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
-
The military, which had previously ruled Myanmar with an iron fist for decades, sought to justify its takeover by alleging widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, which was won in a landslide by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy Party.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters could be forgiven for a lack of excitement when their latest summer signing was confirmed this week.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
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One could be forgiven for regarding it as a trial or even a punishment; at best a mild embarrassment, at worst a scarring disaster.—
Book Marks
August 21,
Literary Hub,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Treating Tech as a Cost Center A basic disconnect explains this secrecy.—
Kiri Masters,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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Chatbots are designed for tasks like answering questions or helping with services, explains Lokesh Shahani, MD, PhD, MPH, a psychiatrist with UTHealth Houston and chief medical officer at UTHealth Houston Behavioral Sciences Campus.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Some entrepreneurs form a U.S. LLC with foreign business partners and overlook this filing.—
Vincenzo Villamena,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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Just across the hall is a door that leads out to a patio with a fire pit overlooking a lawn with tables and umbrellas interspersed among hydrangea for mingling.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Trying to explain away a difficult play or a bad performance for some time while the storm is upon us is not an easy task to navigate or deal with and remain cool, calm and collected.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
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This social belief explained away female self-expression as irrational and undesirable.—
Katie Collom,
People.com,
12 Aug. 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 26 Aug. 2025.
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