glossed (over)

verb

past tense of gloss (over)
1
as in excused
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 ignored
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 glossed (over)
  1. excused
  2. ignored
  3. explained
  4. overlooked
  5. justified
  6. passed over
  7. explained away
  8. whitewashed
Verb
  • Ovitz, meanwhile, asked to be excused from further questioning on the grounds that Ormond’s lawyers were trying to harass him with irrelevant questions.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • These departures would have probably been excused had the show captured the imagination of the audience.
    — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of excused
Verb
  • The shame lies with the governments who ignored the AIDS crisis and the stigma that was around people and the innate prejudice that was in society.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • It is enabled by a culture where consent and accountability are ignored.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignored
Verb
  • From Texas to beyond The couple initially considered limiting their contribution to Texas, Michael explained at the event, before deciding to expand the initiative nationwide.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Spagnuolo explained that the recognition is awarded only after a Chiefs victory, with the coaching staff putting together a highlight tape the following Saturday morning.
    — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of explained
Verb
  • Even though the libero position tends to get overlooked, Calle loves playing there.
    — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Inspired by documentary footage, the work draws attention to a quieter, often overlooked dimension of labor activism.
    — Sarah Belmont for ArtNews, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of overlooked
Verb
  • That’s not to say that some of the industry’s wait-and-see approach isn’t justified.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The sketch eventually returns to its original premise, with the father finally agreeing to try the green eggs and ham — only for Sam-I-Am to reveal that Zackary’s suspicions were justified all along.
    — Anna Tingley, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of justified
Verb
  • The firm launched about a year after Mayer was passed over as a potential successor to Bob Iger and exited the media giant.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • For generations, the series showed, white men had dominated the department, while Black and women firefighters had been ostracized and put in danger, shut out of the most desirable fire stations and passed over for promotions.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of passed over
Verb
  • There are other options, but regardless of what’s on the table for the future, burnout deserves to be taken seriously rather than explained away out of pride, guilt, or habit.
    — Scott Hanson, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Certainly, there are swing issues that can’t be explained away by a good week at Triple-A.
    — John Shipley, Twin Cities, 29 May 2026
Definition of explained away
Verb
  • Boutique brand Katikies has brought the success of its sister hotel in Oia, Santorini, to Mykonos, with a spacious, whitewashed sanctuary on the island’s southwest coast.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The one-bedroom space is minimal, deliberately quiet, and whitewashed.
    — Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of whitewashed
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

glossed
glossed (over)
glosses
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Cite this Entry

“Glossed (over).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glossed%20%28over%29. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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