sugarcoat

verb

Definition of sugarcoatnext
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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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 sugarcoat Her refusal to sugarcoat the interior and exterior lives of her characters, whether enslaved or traumatized by the past — by events in American history — was purposeful. — Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 There's no reason to sugarcoat it. — Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026 There’s no reason to sugarcoat that. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 1 June 2026 There is no sugarcoating the reality. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sugarcoat
  1. explain
  2. justify
  3. excuse
  4. whitewash
  5. rationalize
  6. explain away
Verb
  • Officials, for example, have not explained whether Young’s administrative leave was related to allegations against him personally, his supervisory responsibilities or another reason.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Respond to what’s been said, and let the other person explain the rest.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of explain
Verb
  • India has a strong structural growth story, but investors still need earnings growth to justify the valuation premium, Luchnikava-Schorsch said.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
  • And in each case the president attempted to explain and justify his policies—standards Trump has routinely failed to meet.
    — Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of justify
Verb
  • Students who are absent due to flooding or weather conditions will be excused, and bus riders should expect delays.
    — Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Sumrall also didn’t excuse the inconsistent play at the quarterback position.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of excuse
Verb
  • The rooms were whitewashed once a month; and this one, at least, was the whitest, most simply furnished, and probably neatest apartment in town.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Critics accused state leaders of deliberately whitewashing the history of slavery.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of whitewash
Verb
  • If backers of the president often seemed defensive — justifying, rationalizing, urging patience — Trump critics were seething.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
  • But acting on behalf of Iran, a non-Arab Persian country composed almost entirely of Twelver Shia Muslims, was considerably more difficult to rationalize in Arab Yemen where Twelver Shia Muslims are absent and Sunnis are the majority.
    — Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of rationalize
Verb
  • For Trump supporters, that means explaining away vexations like inflation and the war with Iran, twin anchors dragging down the president and fellow Republicans.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
  • In an effort to explain away his decision, Kiffin reintroduced old ghosts.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of explain away

Browse Nearby Words

suffusing
sugarcoat
sugarcoated
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Cite this Entry

“Sugarcoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sugarcoat. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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