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
-
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
-
The rise of individuality Amid all this, another trend cannot be ignored: personalisation.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
In a classroom setting, the very existence of Palestinians must either be ignored or presented through the lens of Israeli victimhood.—
Sahar Mustafah
August 27,
Literary Hub,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Councilor Michael-Paul Hart, a Republican who represents the far southeast corner of the county, has opposed the project, arguing Google will create too few jobs and pay too little in taxes to justify taking up nearly 470 acres of land.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
30 Aug. 2025
-
Trump justified both sets of tariffs - as well as more recent tariffs - under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.—
Dietrich Knauth,
USA Today,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
The mother explained on the community forum Mumsnet that she was berated for changing her young children — a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old — into swimsuits by the pool while at another person’s house.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
30 Aug. 2025
-
Paige Bueckers explained her unexpected absence against the Connecticut Sun earlier this week.—
Grant Afseth,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Enjoy the beautiful gardens overlooking the lake under the shade of the trees for yoga, stretching and breathing.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Each of the upper three floors has a balcony overlooking the factory floor.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Everyone chases trends while their million-dollar ideas get explained away.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
-
The catch is that these examples could be explained away as automatic.—
Christian Wolf,
Scientific American,
25 June 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Gloss (over).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gloss%20%28over%29. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share