papered over

verb

past tense of paper over
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

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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

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 papered over The lumbering left fielder whose poor defense can be papered over with excellent positioning suddenly will have to cover more ground. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 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 The maintenance burden gets papered over until the next refactor exposes it. — Asad Khan, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 The emotional high of victory papered over the cracks, though. — The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 16 July 2026 The contradictions of their closeness aren’t papered over; the unease is allowed to linger, inflamed and ineradicable. — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 9 July 2026 Clean sheets against an Australian team that barely attacked and a Bosnia and Herzegovina team that lacked punch going forward papered over huge problems in the defensive line. — Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 The deficits were papered over with a series of short-term fixes, including loans and accounting gimmicks. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 19 May 2026 Her transgression is one of the worst things imaginable; in a way, what Emma is hiding stems from a societal ill that gets papered over every day. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for papered over
  1. ignored
  2. concealed
  3. overlooked
  4. obscured
  5. explained
  6. covered
  7. passed over
  8. suppressed
Verb
  • The College Football Playoff selection committee has insulted them, their city has mostly ignored them, and few outside of the range of Bob Chesney’s wonderfully gravelly football voice has actually believed in them.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • But Colom and his Black supporters also have never ignored the significance of his candidacy as a Black man.
    — Bill Barrow, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of ignored
Verb
  • The Andes, which usually loom imposingly over the skyline, are concealed behind thick clouds, and the Mapocho River, which cuts through the city like an artery, is close to bursting its banks.
    — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Since the arrest, detectives also found a second, stationary camera concealed inside a Taco Bell Cantina near where the arrest took place.
    — Breaking News, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of concealed
Verb
  • The north end overlooked a long, broad valley rimmed by mountains that descended to a river about a mile away.
    — John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 11 Nov. 2026
  • In recent years, melodic rap performance has proven surprisingly difficult to predict, with chart-topping hits often living alongside deep cuts and overlooked singles in the final line-up of nominees.
    — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of overlooked
Verb
  • The Barnes & Noble—a wide, flat building in gray brick—was obscured by an enormous construction crane.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • What resonated most for me, though, was witnessing conversations where depth of understanding unveiled perspectives previously obscured.
    — Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscured
Verb
  • Hall explained that his family had made it onto their new land but still needed a few materials to get things working properly.
    — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Redick explained why both Bronny James and Cameron Carr were assigned to the Coachella Valley Lakers.
    — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of explained
Verb
  • Veteran pilot and reporter Johnny Rowlands, who has covered Kansas City’s morning rush hour and severe weather for decades, will retire from KMBC at the end of November, the television station announced Wednesday.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 13 Nov. 2026
  • The ship’s dozen elevators were also removed, in part because they were covered in grease, but also to aid in sinking the ship efficiently, by opening up a path for the air to escape.
    — Rachel Nuwer, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of covered
Verb
  • In January, a derailment and collision near Adamuz killed 46, and investigators pointed to a rail that had broken before the train passed over it.
    — Eric D. Goodman, Baltimore Sun, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The snowpack supplies roughly 30% of California’s freshwater, and air masses tied to the storms had largely passed over Fresno and Madera counties, pointing to the Central Valley as a possible source.
    — The Sacramento Bee staff, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of passed over
Verb
  • Overall, Ukraine’s air defenses shot down or suppressed 196 Russian drones overnight into Friday.
    — Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Edison mentions an abusive boyfriend of Leonora’s, and there is one scene, set at a public park, where some of Arlo’s suppressed trauma flares violently into the open.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of suppressed

Browse Nearby Words

paperbounds
papered over
papering over
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Cite this Entry

“Papered over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/papered%20over. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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