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
Mind you, this team won’t sugarcoat their reviews if the recipe isn’t good.
—
Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2025
Teachers intuited the connection between struggles and progress in families, and within history, and felt that the teaching of a complex history, one that did not sugarcoat the struggles, would build a more resilient classroom, community, and country.
—Annie Polland, Time, 25 Sep. 2025
There’s no way to sugarcoat this.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2025
That has to improve, and there is no sugarcoating it.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat
Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2025
Teachers intuited the connection between struggles and progress in families, and within history, and felt that the teaching of a complex history, one that did not sugarcoat the struggles, would build a more resilient classroom, community, and country.
—Annie Polland, Time, 25 Sep. 2025
There’s no way to sugarcoat this.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2025
That has to improve, and there is no sugarcoating it.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sugarcoat
Verb
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That does not excuse, but that’s his personal [life].—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
9 Nov. 2025
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But missing Curry did not excuse the team’s lapses.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But Ruff was clear that the injury situation doesn’t explain away what the Sabres looked like in the first three games.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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One downside of Oza’s model, Kipping notes, is that any fluctuations in the levels of sulfur dioxide, sodium and potassium observed on WASP-39b can be easily explained away as variability in eruptions.—
Nola Taylor Tillman,
Scientific American,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Now, experts and officials say, the weight of those investments could finally rationalize the projects needed to keep that development going.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Even among some voters who were sincerely uncomfortable with Mamdani’s past rhetoric, many rationalized that an authentic Democrat with a pulse was still better than someone who might be manipulated from afar.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Critics also question whether demand will continue to grow at a fast enough pace to justify the investment.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
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Some investors are also skeptical whether future profit growth will continue to justify the enormous amounts of spending taking place.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Since proper vesicle recycling is crucial for brain communication, this mechanism could explain why patients experience diverse symptoms – from movement problems to memory loss – depending on which brain regions are affected first.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Nov. 2025
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Speaking on The Allison Hagendorf Show, Perry, the lead singer, explained just how the stars aligned for 4 Non Blondes to take the stage together once again.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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On Monday, he was posthumously named a national hero of Indonesia – prompting protests from human rights groups and victims who decried the award as whitewashing a repressive regime that left hundreds of thousands dead, according to historians.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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To us, Nottoway’s transformation in the 1980s – from a brutal site of enslavement to a luxury resort and wedding venue – represented the Southern plantation tourist industry’s tendency to whitewash our past.—
Essence,
Essence,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sugarcoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sugarcoat. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
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