papering over

present participle of paper over
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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 papering over But the results were papering over some crumbly performances. Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for papering over
Verb
  • Wrapped in a blanked on the sofa, binging reruns of The Oprah Show on YouTube and gleefully ignoring emails all morning is my idea of heaven.
    Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
  • On July 4, after Zane confessed to feeling guilty about ignoring more texts from his family members, the chatbot offered to help Zane craft a terse message to them.
    Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • This mismatch between perception and reality has real consequences, fueling the notion that higher education as a whole is elitist and out of touch, hiding the work of the colleges that educate millions of working- and middle-class families.
    Yolanda Watson Spiva, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Then keep scrolling to shop more of the best pieces hiding in Pottery Barn’s outlet now.
    Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • We were impressed by the spacious interior, which was large enough to easily fit our entire four-day packing list and left ample room for an extra few outfits or souvenirs thanks to the brand’s forgiving free-flex zipper technology.
    Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2025
  • It was mismanaged for years until recently, when former President Joe Biden reformed it, ultimately forgiving billions of dollars in debt for more than 1 million Americans.
    Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Shoplifting by concealing merchandise.
    Isabelle Friedman, Boston Herald, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Yet the nonprofit appears to be concealing this from visitors to its website, where a search function, the only nontechnical tool for seeing what’s in Common Crawl’s archives, returns misleading results for certain domains.
    Alex Reisner, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • With just 13 bedrooms overlooking Bantry Bay, the hotel stands as an intimate ode to art and viticulture.
    Emily Baldwin, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025
  • From his apartment overlooking the Narta Lagoon in Albania’s picturesque south, 72-year-old Jorgaq Subashi can glimpse the land he was awarded in 1993 as part of the government’s attempt to return property.
    Lindita Cela, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The video screen split into panels that lifted up and down throughout the show, always obscuring a large part of the stage.
    Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Breaking up or obscuring the reflection makes the glass visible to birds, preventing them from hitting your windows.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The epicenter of the hurricane is passing over Cuba at the opposite end of the island to the Caribbean country's capital city of Havana, the BBC noted.
    Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Over the next week, Melissa is passing over some warmer than usual waters in the Caribbean, which has not seen a tropical storm or hurricane yet this season.
    Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Former President Bill Clinton arrived at the New York City Marathon finish line Sunday with a bandage covering the tip of his nose.
    Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025
  • The Pentagon recently imposed the most stringent access restrictions of the term, requiring that all reporters covering the Defense Department in person sign a restrictive press policy prohibiting them from soliciting any information the department has not authorized for release.
    Scott Nover, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Papering over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/papering%20over. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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