paper over

verb

Definition of paper overnext
1
as in to ignore
to dismiss as of little importance the differences between the two factions are too great to be papered over in the name of party unity

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to conceal
to keep secret or shut off from view the company tried to paper over its red ink, issuing assurances that it was still financially sound

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of paper over The scrambles to paper over the shortfalls essentially kick the fiscal can down the road without addressing the underlying causes. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026 Although the history of British colonialism is every bit as violent as the history of slavery, it’s just been papered over with Queen Victoria and niceties. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 July 2026 Spread paper towels or paper over a work surface and label a paper plate or shallow container for each variety. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 24 July 2026 The Democrats’ bad brand, and their willingness to hand influence to outside groups to paper over it, has increasingly become a problem for them this year. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for paper over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paper over
  1. ignore
  2. conceal
  3. forgive
  4. hide
  5. overlook
  6. obscure
  7. explain
  8. cover
Verb
  • Scribner’s ignored Hemingway and let Conrad use brief excerpts.
    — Stephen Bates, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Moscow ignored that truce from the start and Kyiv vowed to retaliate.
    — Spencer Kimball,Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignore
Verb
  • The Symptoms Women Work to Hide Sweating, hot flashes and brain fog are among the symptoms women most often try to conceal, according to the Womea survey.
    — Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The gloom was useful for masking scavenging activities and for concealing one’s identity.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of conceal
Verb
  • You’d be forgiven for not realizing that Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is launching this week.
    — Andrew Webster, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The remarkably, borderline unbelievably forgiving Adams became good friends with her ex-husband.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of forgive
Verb
  • Working in quick, gentle strokes, Abrams used her brush and sprayer to peel away dirt hiding the floral details on Eliza’s grave before moving to the next.
    — Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The subsequent furor is about hiding it from the public and about a brazen plea to keep the Democratic Party and three of its candidates from advertising those facts.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of hide
Verb
  • No little detail is overlooked, from interesting on-site activities (like watercolor painting in the courtyard) to immaculate turndown service.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The world may be overlooking its next important medical discovery.
    — Segun Fatumo, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of overlook
Verb
  • But take a walk inside and the ground is laden with faint slabs of rock, gravestones from a centuries-old Indigenous family cemetery that had been obscured by the passage of time and neglect.
    — Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026
  • However, any potential signal is expected to be faint and can be obscured by cosmic variance, the statistical uncertainty that arises when observations cover only a finite portion of the universe.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscure
Verb
  • An elephantine star becoming a black hole doesn’t explain it either.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Maybe this explains why Effective Altruism—the idea that generosity should be subjected to evidence and calculation—seemed counterintuitive.
    — David Miliband, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of explain
Verb
  • The carbon covers the grip, the thumb rest, and the soft-release button, the spots a photographer touches most.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Still, though, the White House has selectively denied CNN access to cover the president's travel on Air Force One -- no fewer than four times to date, Boutrous wrote.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of cover

Browse Nearby Words

paper money
paper over
papers
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Cite this Entry

“Paper over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paper%20over. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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