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
Bluey tells compelling stories of emotional intelligence and regulation in a way that doesn’t feel sugarcoated and is hopeful rather than escapist.
—
Miranda Rake, Parents, 19 Feb. 2026
But Shiffrin rarely sugarcoats her feelings.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 10 Feb. 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
Miranda Rake, Parents, 19 Feb. 2026
But Shiffrin rarely sugarcoats her feelings.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 10 Feb. 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
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No staff member is obligated to participate, nor are staff excused from normal duty for the purposes of their own participation.—
Megan De Mar,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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More than 80 people have already requested to be excused from the case, according to the Associated Press, with no jurors picked on the first day of proceedings.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Offscreen, some fans accuse Wyle of explaining away or downplaying his fictional character’s cruelty, and of a constellation of other sins, including envy of his fellow actors’ credentials.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
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The gallium anomaly remains similarly tough to explain away.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And time and again, high fuel prices have been the most powerful catalyst for change, separating the winners and forcing weaker players to rationalize, consolidate or be eliminated, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said on an earnings call last week.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
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Investment was strategy – a key obligation to deliver on the business plan that would rationalize our valuation.—
Samuel Mueller,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The act of getting high no longer carries the same inherent tension, legal or otherwise, and the niche genre that stoner filmmakers once built around the drug has struggled to justify its own existence.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
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The Stones fired Jones in June 1969 but would have been justified doing so a couple years earlier.—
Marc Ballon,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Burke explained, however, the homes may be isolated by water covering the road.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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Davis explained that gas taxes aren't like a sales tax — suspending them won't directly pass all of the savings to the consumer.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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 22 Apr. 2026.
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