1
as in ignoring
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 hiding
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 papering over
But the results were papering over some crumbly performances.
—
Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for papering over
Verb
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The next morning, Federline called his lawyer Mark Kaplan to draft a legal letter demanding that Spears stop breastfeeding their children, and Federline left town to promote his record, ignoring her calls and messages.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
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Signs of sass becoming a problem include growling or snapping, guarding objects, ignoring basic commands persistently, or biting and destroying items.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In December 1978, Gacy confessed to kidnapping, raping and murdering dozens of boys and men, some as young as 14 years old, and hiding many of their bodies in a crawl space under the house.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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Unlike a killer hiding in the woods, a guy who gets you in your dreams is literally impossible to hide from, and watching our plucky heroine Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) trying to resist sleep presents a new kind of awful torture.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Flat seams eliminate irritation and itching for loose threads, and an elastic waistband and cuffs at the ankles provides a snug fit that’s still forgiving.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
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In my mind, not forgiving somebody only puts up the jail cell kind of around you.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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These participants, who, like those in our COVID-19 study, prioritized a symbolic show of strength, were more likely to believe in other kinds of misinformation and conspiracies, too, such as that the government is concealing evidence of alien contact.—
Abraham Rutchick,
The Conversation,
15 Oct. 2025
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What begins as a crime caper morphs into an unexpected rom-com as Jeff spends more time with Leigh’s family and even joins her local church, all while concealing his real identity and living behind a display of bicycles at Leigh’s workplace.—
Keaton Bell,
Vogue,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In footage obtained by WRAL News, passengers appear nervous as they remain stranded at the top of the ride, overlooking the rest of the fairground.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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Today, overlooking geopolitical risks would be a serious misstep.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The health department redacted a portion of the letter that placed Bookman on leave, obscuring any explanation of what officials were investigating.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
15 Oct. 2025
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His reflective blue shades were perched atop a baseball cap, obscuring much of his face.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Simply rake fallen leaves from landscape beds into piles and mow over them on your lawn, chopping them into small pieces by passing over them several times.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Oct. 2025
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There were people that were out at the rideshare as bullets were passing over their head.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Protest-goers told the Idaho Statesman about a variety of motivations for showing up, mostly covering civil liberties — rights for immigrants, women and transgender people — and Trump’s authoritarian actions.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
19 Oct. 2025
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Remigration in action CNN reporter Barbie Latza Nadeau has spent years covering immigration and tracing the rise of the far right in Italian politics.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Papering over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/papering%20over. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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