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
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of paper over
Adams, the Republican nominee in 2022 and 2024, was endorsed in the special election by the Independent Party and claims the secretary of the state’s office wrongly refused to accept his Independent Party nomination papers over a technicality — a missing signature.
—
Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2026
The acids in the cardboard can discolor photos and papers over time.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026
Well, the showrunners of Stranger Things, the Duffer brothers, attempted to paper over those holes in interviews that went up immediately after the finale aired.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent league wins over Brighton, Tottenham and Wolves papered over the cracks in patchy performances as the champions climbed back into the top four.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paper over
Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2026
The acids in the cardboard can discolor photos and papers over time.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026
Well, the showrunners of Stranger Things, the Duffer brothers, attempted to paper over those holes in interviews that went up immediately after the finale aired.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent league wins over Brighton, Tottenham and Wolves papered over the cracks in patchy performances as the champions climbed back into the top four.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paper over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paper over
Verb
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This framing effectively provides a rationale for ignoring officers’ commands during field encounters.—
Christina Buttons,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
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Fedorov, the new defense minister, acknowledges the scale of the problem, telling the Ukrainian parliament some 2 million people are ignoring their call-up papers, while 200,000 others have deserted.—
Andrew Carey,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Iranian economy is a grand hall of mirrors, concealing criminal theft on an epic scale.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
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Economic growth fueled by foreign borrowing created an illusion of stability that concealed deepening structural decay.—
Alejandro Reyes,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Former Patriots called out the team for not giving Mayo a fair shot, but after replacing Mayo with Mike Vrabel, all is forgiven.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Knowing this, you’d be forgiven for having difficulty differentiating one bear from another.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That’s why scrolling by date and scrubbing through videos still works — search hides uncertainty, scrolling shows everything.—
Ken Colburn,
AZCentral.com,
8 Feb. 2026
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Days after federal agents arrested the Ecuadorian mother hiding under a trailer on a snowy Minneapolis street, White House border czar Tom Homan said 700 federal law enforcement personnel will be withdrawn from the state.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The many historic parallels far beyond academia should not be overlooked.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
1 Feb. 2026
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The arch would overlook the Potomac River on the other side of the Arlington Memorial Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The video is obscured at that point.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2026
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Mendonça uses these surreal flourishes to reimagine the country of his youth—a place where gruesome crimes were committed by people determined to obscure the evidence.—
Stephania Taladrid,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Whitwam explains that Catalina mule deer hunting was traditionally reserved for island residents and their guests, or hunters who were willing to book with a local guide.—
Kris Millgate,
Outdoor Life,
6 Feb. 2026
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Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs argued Brady’s role as a sports network broadcaster — not just a Patriots icon — explains his neutral stance.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Iran is seeking to focus talks on its longstanding nuclear dispute with Western powers, while the United States wants the agenda to also cover Tehran's ballistic missile program, its alleged backing of armed groups across the Middle East, and its domestic human rights record.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
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Grubb saw that the right side of Chabolla’s face was covered in a thick gel, with bright red skin underneath.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paper over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paper%20over. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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