GLOSSING (OVER) Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

glossing (over)

verb

present participle of gloss (over)

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

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

Definition of explaining away

Verb

Unable to picture evil as anything other than devilish, critics accused Arendt of excusing the perpetrators and blaming the victims.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
Not that Miss Manners is excusing those who burst into dinner parties after the roast has been ruined — along with the other guests’ attitudes, most likely — and then blame it on traffic.

— Judith Martin, Mercury News, 28 July 2026

Definition of excusing

Verb

The spa setup includes a proper sauna, a genuinely cold cold plunge, hot tubs, and a quiet outdoor lounge overlooking the dunes.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026
Indoor and outdoor blend together in the 10th-floor restaurant with 2,000 square feet of patio, boasting views overlooking the edge of South End and uptown, including Bank of America Stadium.

— Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of overlooking

Verb

Wickline came on as an increasingly flustered Anthropic CEO, Dario Amodei, who’s explaining why AI is dangerous without taking any responsibility for that.

— Rima Parikh, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2026
But the stakes on Saturday had arguably never been higher for USC’s coach, who spent all offseason explaining how this season would be different.

— Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of explaining

Verb

The scourge of Steve Spurrier Spurrier took too many verbal jabs to list here and took special glee in beating the Dawgs, never forgiving them for beating his Florida Gators in his 1966 senior season, ruining their SEC championship hopes.

— The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Although these conditions may be difficult to maintain at home, onions are forgiving.

— Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of forgiving

Verb

Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government in Israel is using ancient archaeological heritage as a tool for justifying the seizure of Palestinian land in the West Bank, reports the Financial Times.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Trump had not previously cited national security in justifying the ban.

— Dan Mangan, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of justifying

Verb

The probability of a hurricane passing over any particular point is low, especially farther from the Mexican coast, since most Pacific hurricanes tend to stay closer to Mexico.

— Nicholas Grondin, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026
Related Articles The board previously resolved to erect new buildings for the Latino Museum and the American Women’s History Museum, passing over Arts and Industries.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of passing over

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.

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glossing

glossing (over)

gloss (over)

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Style

“Glossing (over).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glossing%20%28over%29. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of glossing (over)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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