1
as in explaining away
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 ignoring
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 glossing (over)
Verb
-
There was no explaining away a mistake like that.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026 -
Offscreen, some fans accuse Wyle of explaining away or downplaying his fictional character’s cruelty, and of a constellation of other sins, including envy of his fellow actors’ credentials.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That’s how Ciara found out that Amanda was spending so much time at West’s house while ignoring her calls.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
-
Other Democrats argued that the plan does nothing for renters and noted that Republicans were ignoring high homeowners insurance rates, which are causing financial stress to more people.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Rather than prompting examination of the systems in which those outcomes occur, a common counterargument is that attention to diversity risks lowering standards or excusing poor performance.—
Vanessa Grubbs,
STAT,
1 June 2026
-
After excusing herself briefly from the conversation, Patricia returns to find the other guests whispering to Shelby about Patricia’s history of dishonesty about almost being a Boogeyman victim.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Its 23 spacious rooms and suites, all with terraces or private gardens, have spectacular sea views and are nestled into a ridge overlooking a secluded cove near the medieval hilltop village of Ramatuelle.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
Sun, sea, sand and sangria have reigned supreme here for decades, from the hedonistic super clubs that provide its late-night soundtrack, to the beach bars overlooking its famous Balearic sunset.—
Jaymi McCann,
TheWeek,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Narula discussed the potential links between GLP-1s and breast cancer, explaining that after menopause, fat cells produce estrogen throughout the body, and higher levels of estrogen could translate to a higher risk of breast cancer.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
-
After taking fans along to a series of appointments, Mellencamp posted a video of her doctor explaining the status of her disease.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Texas State wasn’t as forgiving.—
Jose de Jesus Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
The no-nonsense superstar probably wouldn’t have been so forgiving with his words.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
At about the same time, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for south-central Clay County and northwestern Jackson County as a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was passing over the metro.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 June 2026
-
Jupiter's moons are in a chain of orbital resonances that could only have formed by the moons tugging gently on each other in passing over a long period of time, and crater records also suggest that Jupiter's moons are very, very old.—
Kiona N. Smith,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The business momentum is clear here, justifying the stock’s strong performance over the past four to five weeks.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
-
Perhaps the Thunder would see the upside of a SGA-Giannis-J-Dub core as justifying the risk of cutting down their depth to that extent.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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
“Glossing (over).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glossing%20%28over%29. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
