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
There is no way to sugarcoat the awfulness of those months of anxiety.
—
Kate Callen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Jan. 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
Marie, who always considered herself an athletic person growing up, does not sugarcoat the physical demands of her profession.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat
Kate Callen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Jan. 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
Marie, who always considered herself an athletic person growing up, does not sugarcoat the physical demands of her profession.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sugarcoat
Verb
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The judge found her involvement in the fraud scheme during that period undermined her eligibility and that there were no mitigating circumstances to excuse her conduct.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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None of this, of course, is to excuse what Kyle said to Amanda, but an attempt to explain his psychology and illustrate how relationships on these shows are more doomed than Katy Perry’s pop career.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some enforcement agents explain away their disappointment at such an escape with a you-can’t-win-’em-all shrug.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
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The conversations were often brief and fragmented, shaped by years of pain that had already been normalized or explained away.—
Sarah Berg,
STAT,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While rationalizing deception is easy to do, developing the virtue of truthfulness is not.—
Katherine Moses,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
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But as another voter rationalizes, the sheer size of the ballot will do more harm than good in the long run.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But manufacturers use unnecessary complication to justify charging you $100,000 for $20,000 worth of car--or $350,000 for $50,000 worth of tractor.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
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Blending absurdist humor with social critique, the series explores how civility can be weaponized to justify cruelty.—
Lin Ying-Hsuan,
Variety,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Iannarelli explained that a core element of de-escalation is projecting calmness, as individuals often mimic those who appear angry and agitated.—
Evonne Andris,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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The justices did not issue an opinion explaining their decision to stay Duckett’s execution.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The island’s whitewashed, clifftop village offers romantic views of the Aegean Sea, and a steep, zig-zagging path climbs up the hillside to a church.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
23 Mar. 2026
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Sterilized, whitewashed, controlled, censored – all those words apply.—
Jim Axelrod,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sugarcoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sugarcoat. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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