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

Cameron Berg, who founded the nonprofit Reciprocal Research to study the potential for AI consciousness, argues that ignoring the question could carry its own dangers.

— Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2026
With nearly 70% of listeners now consuming video podcasts, treating an interview as just a microphone chat means ignoring how your audience actually consumes content.

— Victoria Usher, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignoring

Verb

Around 40% of the building will be accessible without a ticket, with an amphitheater-like atrium designed for talks and performances, a bookshop, a children's art space, and Extra Large, a café with a panoramic terrace overlooking the Seine.

— Alessia Armenise, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
Locals on social media and at the press conference also criticized the governor for overlooking the damage in Milton, which has a population of fewer than 12,000 people.

— CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of overlooking

Verb

The decision was posted on the White House website late in the evening, and the notification noted that the report explaining the decision had been submitted to Congress.

— Will Weissert, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Kate is once again explaining to Hal something very obvious about his own psyche and routine behavior.

— Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of explaining

Verb

The remarkably, borderline unbelievably forgiving Adams became good friends with her ex-husband.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
But after Gouken’s tragic murder — the particulars will eventually be revealed in flashbacks — Ken and Ryu went their separate ways, Ken never forgiving Ryu for failing to save Gouken’s life.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of forgiving

Verb

The centerpiece of the policy originally was his use of a 1977 law to declare America's longstanding trade deficits a national emergency, justifying double-digit tariffs on almost every country on Earth.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Advocacy groups are fighting to unseal the OLC’s memo justifying the deadly boat strikes in international waters.

— Perry Stein, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 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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“Glossing (over).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glossing%20%28over%29. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of glossing (over)

verb

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