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
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
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
-
But soon, an intruder introduces both suspicion and hope for connection, as loneliness battles with the fear that something considerably larger than a virus is hiding in the dark.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Some are found lurking in remote corners of the world, while others have been hiding right under our noses.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Some viewers though were less than forgiving.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The Boss was essentially thanking the Taxi Driver scribe for forgiving the creative larceny Springsteen perpetrated in those early days of his career.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Instead of concealing them, Ban’s shutters filter light and create privacy—transforming utilitarian design into art.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Trump faced criminal counts of conspiring to obstruct justice, concealing documents and making false statements.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, once an Ottoman imperial residence, is now a luxury hotel overlooking the Bosphorus.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Today, the mountaintop hotel overlooking Eureka Springs offers ghost tours through its Victorian halls and former morgue, and the price of a room ranges from about $150 to $600.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 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
Cite this Entry
“Papering over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/papering%20over. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share