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.
Related Words
Relevance
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
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
What Compassionate Leadership Looks Like Compassionate leadership doesn’t mean avoiding hard decisions or sugarcoating the truth.
—Kiran Mann, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Nunemaker said the search committee tried to give Sajet a realistic picture of the museum, the board and Milwaukee as a place to live without sugarcoating or underselling anything.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat
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
What Compassionate Leadership Looks Like Compassionate leadership doesn’t mean avoiding hard decisions or sugarcoating the truth.
—Kiran Mann, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Nunemaker said the search committee tried to give Sajet a realistic picture of the museum, the board and Milwaukee as a place to live without sugarcoating or underselling anything.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sugarcoat
Verb
-
Actors like Andrew Garfield, Chloë Sevigny and Brian Cox have spoken out against their peers who use Method to excuse their own bad behavior.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Plumlee, who had been excused from Monday’s media day activities for personal reasons, has continued to be absent from practice this week and hasn’t spoken about his second tour of duty with Charlotte yet.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Maybe the nuns could be transformed into spa therapists at a wellness retreat and the toxin explained away as a surfeit of matcha.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The idea sticks because the prize, limitless energy from tabletop hardware, is irresistible, and suppression narratives explain away the lack of mainstream acceptance.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In 2023, the Eagles were 4-0 (and eventually 10-1), and their issues were often rationalized by pointing to the record.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Boards under pressure for growth routinely make the wrong choice—rationalizing the damage as a problem for their successors.—
Andrew King,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
On September 24, Judge Smith permanently enjoined DHS from enforcing broad new immigration compliance conditions on a wide range of preparedness grants, ruling the agency had exceeded its statutory authority and failed to justify departing from longstanding grant practices.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Among customers and in financial markets, skepticism is rising as some question whether the massive investment in AI will ever be justified by revenues.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Reliever Luke Weaver melted down again, and then seemed lost trying to explain it postgame.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
In the show, Gein strikes Henry with a piece of wood, then drags his body into the woods and stages a brush fire to explain Henry's death.—
JR Radcliffe,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The festival, taking place in Riyadh from September 26 to October 9, has been widely condemned as an attempt to whitewash the Saudi regime, which heavily criminalizes LGBTQ+ people and has ordered the killing of journalists like Jamal Khashoggi.—
Samantha Riedel,
Them.,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The moss brings a splash of color that maintains a sophisticated and minimalist quality, while keeping a space from becoming whitewashed.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sugarcoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sugarcoat. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share