as in to excuse
to talk about or describe (something) in a way that makes it seem more pleasant or acceptable than it is
textbooks that sugarcoat history She has very strong opinions, and she doesn't try to sugarcoat them.
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Recent Examples of sugarcoat
Bluey tells compelling stories of emotional intelligence and regulation in a way that doesn’t feel sugarcoated and is hopeful rather than escapist.
—
Miranda Rake, Parents, 19 Feb. 2026
But Shiffrin rarely sugarcoats her feelings.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
There is no sugarcoating the depth of disagreement between public health and MAHA over some life-and-death interventions such as vaccines.
—Tom W. Johnson, STAT, 26 Jan. 2026
Despite their clear affection for these women, the Dardenne brothers never sugarcoat their characters’ unenviable circumstance or latch onto phony bromides to alleviate our anxiety.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat
Miranda Rake, Parents, 19 Feb. 2026
But Shiffrin rarely sugarcoats her feelings.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
There is no sugarcoating the depth of disagreement between public health and MAHA over some life-and-death interventions such as vaccines.
—Tom W. Johnson, STAT, 26 Jan. 2026
Despite their clear affection for these women, the Dardenne brothers never sugarcoat their characters’ unenviable circumstance or latch onto phony bromides to alleviate our anxiety.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sugarcoat
Verb
-
Journalists must avoid deception, but the primary instance when it may be excused is in deceiving certain sources during undercover investigations on an issue of public importance.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
-
Now, that doesn’t excuse Amad’s extremely sloppy pass, straight to Dominik Szoboszlai, who ran through unchecked to score.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
And yet the media finds a way to conveniently explain away violence.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Production is either exalted or explained away.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At first, these moments can feel easy to rationalize.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
1 May 2026
-
What Gemini says, Pisces feels, and what Pisces senses, Gemini tries to rationalize.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Abraham Lincoln was wary of the doctrine, perceiving that any such notion of divine inevitability could be used to justify land grabs and war.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Dieck's use of deadly force was deemed justified by a critical response team, the 18th Judicial District Attorney, and an internal Aurora Police Department investigation.—
Brian Sherrod,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Perhaps the aether did exist, but it could never be construed as being in motion by an observer on the Earth, because the aether itself was being dragged by objects traveling through space, such as the Earth, explaining why a null result was obtained.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
-
The impacts of these events still feel fresh, Serpi explains through a digital translator.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
And the actual story Segal was referencing in The Nation was about how the Israeli government allowed Bulgaria to whitewash their WWII history to secure an arms deal with the country.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
6 May 2026
-
Critics accuse it of trying to whitewash the nation’s history.—
Matthew Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sugarcoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sugarcoat. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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