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
But Shiffrin rarely sugarcoats her feelings.
—
Sean Gregory, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat
Sean Gregory, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sugarcoat
Verb
-
As the couple continued to pepper Harry with questions, Caroline excused herself to get another seltzer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Continue reading … MEDIA HALL PASS — Nashville public school excuses Muslim students for daily prayer time during Ramadan.—
,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The gallium anomaly remains similarly tough to explain away.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The famed African American journalist investigated lynchings across the South and wrote about the savage incidents that the white press had already explained away.—
Case Thorp,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Instead of obsessively over-rationalizing or avoiding, try making friends with that feeling.—
Goth Shakira
Contributing,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Of those seven losses, setbacks against Dallas and Chicago (while both were still trying to win) and Milwaukee could at least be rationalized.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At a time of widespread angst over runaway ticket prices, merely encountering something novel at a concert isn’t enough for many to justify the cost of getting in the door, particularly when superstars like Taylor Swift and SZA are on the road showing that innovation and value can coexist.—
Vanessa Franko,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Seeing injustice justified with IQ, educators grew increasingly fed up with the indicator in the second half of the 20th century.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Mariam explained that she’d been admitted to Bronx Science through a program called Discovery, for students from disadvantaged backgrounds whose test scores fell just below the school’s cutoff line.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Could the seizures explain Al-Hashimi’s moments of forgetfulness that Robby has been curious about during his shift?—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Some view the men's team as complicit in whitewashing the Iranian government's repression and can’t bear to watch the competition.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
To whitewash the tree, combine equal parts of white latex paint with water, and brush the mixture on branches or areas of the trunk that are exposed to the sun.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sugarcoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sugarcoat. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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