1
as in ignored
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 concealed
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 papered over
Even so, personality disputes can be papered over if countries share mutual goals and interests.
—
Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
But not all differences can be papered over.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 8 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
Underneath, its windows are artfully papered over with construction paper clouds.
—Kansas City Star, 22 Nov. 2025
The recent San Diego fee increases, which aside from Measure C were not directly approved by voters, will help but won’t solve the city’s structural budget deficit that has been papered over for years.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
While political violence decreased, his heavy-handed rule papered over France’s wounds without healing them.
—Time, 21 Oct. 2025
How many old game-management cracks were papered over a year ago by Shedeur, the best passer in school history, and Travis Hunter, the Buffs’ best-ever athlete?
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 30 Aug. 2025
For all the talk of bold reforms since 2012, Xi has time and time again papered over China’s cracks with government stimulus.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
But not all differences can be papered over.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 8 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
Underneath, its windows are artfully papered over with construction paper clouds.
—Kansas City Star, 22 Nov. 2025
The recent San Diego fee increases, which aside from Measure C were not directly approved by voters, will help but won’t solve the city’s structural budget deficit that has been papered over for years.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
While political violence decreased, his heavy-handed rule papered over France’s wounds without healing them.
—Time, 21 Oct. 2025
How many old game-management cracks were papered over a year ago by Shedeur, the best passer in school history, and Travis Hunter, the Buffs’ best-ever athlete?
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 30 Aug. 2025
For all the talk of bold reforms since 2012, Xi has time and time again papered over China’s cracks with government stimulus.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for papered over
Verb
-
Injuries over the past year may have left him unavailable for selection, but there were times last season when his claims were ignored and others like Newcastle United’s Dan Burn and Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah (now at Bayer Leverkusen) were selected.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
-
For months, Bill Clinton, 79, and Hillary Clinton, 78, largely ignored the matter in public but that became harder to sustain in December when the former president was featured prominently in the first batch of Epstein files.—
STEVEN SLOAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Officers reported that Hendrix had his right hand concealed inside his jacket near his chest and abdomen.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The pressure to keep exile concealed—to keep it invisible—mounts when disclosing the reasons motivating the journey would put travelers at risk.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The cost hurdle could be overlooked in the short term, but having a system with actuators and a movable battery rack would also occupy more space, potentially requiring a compromise between cabin space and the number of cells in the battery pack.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Randall is owed a debt of gratitude for championing the important and too-often overlooked culinary contributions of African Americans.—
Brad Johnson,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
What Happens to Your Heart in the Cold When you're exposed to the cold, your body naturally tries to preserve its internal temperature, explained James Udelson, MD, interim chief physician executive of the CardioVascular Center and chief of cardiology at Tufts Medical Center.—
Jenna Anderson,
Health,
23 Feb. 2026
-
In a sell-off like this, Jim explained, a hedge fund might typically avoid it and then come back to it.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And the screen is often duly obscured in a whitish haze, some of it moving through the skies above, some of it rising from the Phlegraean Fields, an active eight-mile-wide caldera to the west of Naples.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Water had obscured the depth and impact of the sinkhole.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Her accessories, much like her clothing, were tight in number but deliberate in choice—subtle details that gained meaning through repetition—much of which is routinely passed over today in comparison to her clothing.—
Julia Rabinowitsch,
Vogue,
20 Feb. 2026
-
What is true, however, even before Crosby’s injury, is that the torch had started to be passed over gradually to McDavid.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The bread is traditionally made, with dough mixed by hand, then heated by coals from the fire, buried in sand, covered with more coals and left for 30 minutes.—
Henry Haselock,
TheWeek,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Young working-class kids should not pay the ultimate price for regime change and a war that hasn’t been explained or justified to the American people.—
Jon Haworth,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2026
-
That original scarcity logic also justified a broader regulatory architecture, including the now-defunct Fairness Doctrine.—
Jay Caruso,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Papered over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/papered%20over. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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