as in explaining
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 sugarcoating
KitKat is not sugarcoating its quest to find thousands of missing chocolates after thieves targeted the candy bar maker.
—
Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 Apr. 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
There’s no sugarcoating it—more intricate lace nail art can be tricky to nail (pun intended) for beginners.
—Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 27 Dec. 2025
There’s no use sugarcoating it—MGP has hit a bit of a rough patch over the past year.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 14 Dec. 2025
Firstly, Fabian has a knack for sugarcoating unwelcome news.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 28 Nov. 2025
This is your cue to stop sugarcoating.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
There was no sugarcoating their first loss in four games to start the season.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 28 Sep. 2025
That has to improve, and there is no sugarcoating it.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 Apr. 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
There’s no sugarcoating it—more intricate lace nail art can be tricky to nail (pun intended) for beginners.
—Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 27 Dec. 2025
There’s no use sugarcoating it—MGP has hit a bit of a rough patch over the past year.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 14 Dec. 2025
Firstly, Fabian has a knack for sugarcoating unwelcome news.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 28 Nov. 2025
This is your cue to stop sugarcoating.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
There was no sugarcoating their first loss in four games to start the season.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 28 Sep. 2025
That has to improve, and there is no sugarcoating it.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sugarcoating
Verb
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And two people explaining why a movie going straight to streaming is actually a good thing.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
22 Apr. 2026
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That’s why the timeout confusion, while worth explaining, shouldn’t become the main takeaway.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Consistently, independent polls showed the opposition with a sizable lead, but Western diplomats in Budapest cautioned me not to underestimate Orbán’s ability to mobilize voters at the last moment, or to manufacture circumstances justifying a state of emergency.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
12 Apr. 2026
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In the meantime, Varsity faces a Thursday deadline to submit arguments justifying why, at its insistence, a bulk of the docket to date has been filed under seal.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Australians should maintain confidence in due process, and refrain from jumping to conclusions by either damning Roberts-Smith or excusing him.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
19 Apr. 2026
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And historians can talk about the Versailles treaty causing resentment in Germany, which led to the rise of Nazism in World War II, and that’s fine; that’s not excusing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Protect them with shade or by whitewashing the bark.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Sugarcoating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sugarcoating. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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