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
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There was no explaining away a mistake like that.
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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.
Verb
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Make Participation Effortless Reduce friction to the point where using it feels like less effort than ignoring it.
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For example, today, Americans might believe that the demands of racial equity or of evangelical Christianity are so pressing that executive power would be justified in ignoring the legislature or the judiciary to serve them.
Verb
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The center also alleges that the APA has put up roadblocks to allowing an official Jewish affinity group to form, while excusing inflammatory language about Zionism from an Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern and North African affinity group.
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Plus, our governor issued a memo excusing fans from delays caused by celebrating.
Verb
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El Dorado Kitchen For a stay at the center of Sonoma’s action, book El Dorado Hotel, a cozy boutique property overlooking historic Sonoma Plaza.
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It's located north of San Francisco and features 4,863 square feet of space, while also overlooking the surrounding rolling hills.
Verb
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Infographic explaining Euclid's survey ESA The original image was captured in black and white, but color was added using observations from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope located in Hawaii.
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The original is a minor Harding work, Bacon said, explaining why judges might not have recognized Allan’s submission as a re-creation.
Verb
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This is why much of the safety discussion still feels too forgiving to me.
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Shoppers note that the shorts are roomy and don’t bunch up, and that the elastic waistband is forgiving even while bloated.
Verb
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The article emphasizes that effective communication of difficult decisions requires not only clear explanation but also genuine empathy for how people feel, rather than merely justifying actions.
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And yet at the start of the Mass, a priest read aloud a statement justifying the consecrations as a necessary defense of the faith and criticizing how the Catholic Church today had deviated from tradition.
Verb
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On Wednesday, there is a significant chance of more thunderstorms likely to redevelop along a cold front passing over far eastern Illinois and northwest Indiana, officials said.
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Subtle audio tracks the sound of ice on the move, views of clouds passing over glass-like ice, and there's the eventual memorial for Ok.
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Cite this Entry
“Glossing (over).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glossing%20%28over%29. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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