PAPER OVER Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

paper over

verb

Definition of paper over

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

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

Verb

South Korea shifted to a softer tone under current liberal President Lee Jae Myung, but North Korea has so far ignored Lee's calls to resume diplomacy.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
Dwindling visitor traffic and exhibitor numbers — and rising prices per square foot — can no longer be ignored at ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories trade shows around the world.

— Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of ignore

Verb

The series begins during a police intervention in which two officers shoot an unarmed teenager and decide to conceal what happened from their superiors.

— Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
That would mean finding a place to conceal our crew of 300 people — not an easy feat in these locations!

— Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of conceal

Verb

But although the young crew have strong voices and deliver pretty harmonies, the pop performances sound so processed that you could be forgiven for asking if anyone is doing their own singing.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of forgive

Verb

Cuts to public agencies have coincided with outbreaks of infectious and foodborne diseases, to the point that the administration is trying to manipulate numbers to hide measles deaths.

— Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026
The restaurant is also available for private-dining bookings with a room that can instantly tint its glass, hiding diners with the flip of a switch.

— Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of hide

Verb

What’s at issue is collateral damage, a term that came into use during the Vietnam War to obscure, through abstraction, that masses of civilians were being systematically blown to pieces.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
The poster also obscured the system’s dynamic tracking accuracy.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of obscure

Verb

The woman who had compiled the Handy Hints book helpfully explained these technical details to Flynn, whispering in his ear like someone translating a foreign language.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Instead of explaining why something happened after the fact, the organization helps the customer stay ahead of it.

— Suresh Rajapakse, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of explain

Verb

Chinese authorities this year proposed mutual aid elder care services to cover 70% of regions by 2030.

— HUIYEE CHIEW AND LYRIC LI THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
Control centres in Seoul and Daejeon cover more than 5,000 people under electronic monitoring, and handle 19,000 alerts a day, said The Guardian.

— Will Barker, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of cover

Browse Nearby Words

paper money

paper over

papers

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Paper over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paper%20over. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of paper over

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

aggrandize

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes