sugarcoating

verb

present participle of sugarcoat
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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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 sugarcoating The script by Kevin Wade throws up hurdles of sexism and class snobbery, never sugarcoating how Tess’s male co-workers treat her like a blow-up doll. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 There is no sugarcoating the reality. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 31 May 2026 Then, sugarcoating was the reflexive response. — Susan Page, USA Today, 29 May 2026 One in four jobs at risk The bank isn’t sugarcoating AI’s reach. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 4 May 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sugarcoating
  1. explaining
  2. justifying
  3. excusing
  4. whitewashing
Verb
  • At its investor day in June, Honeywell Aerospace spent time explaining their strategy to transform their supply chain, including better planning, factory throughput and the embrace of AI tools.
    — Zev Fima,Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the city will work on outreach to get vacant properties registered while putting together a guide explaining what the standards are for owners.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of explaining
Verb
  • Like with Meta, Microsoft on Wednesday evening needs to do a better job explaining its AI strategy and justifying the massive levels of capex spend.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 26 July 2026
  • Organizations that approach agentic AI this way build foundational capabilities that span dozens of workflows and shift the ROI conversation from justifying each agent individually to achieving compounding returns across the enterprise.
    — Joe Locandro, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of justifying
Verb
  • Not that Miss Manners is excusing those who burst into dinner parties after the roast has been ruined — along with the other guests’ attitudes, most likely — and then blame it on traffic.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
  • Part of that is the team’s fault, as Boone and Cashman have spent much of his career staunchly defending and excusing the former first-round pick’s poor play.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 July 2026
Definition of excusing
Verb
  • Japan’s Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum has been accused of whitewashing the country’s wartime past.
    — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2026
  • The overnight removal and replacement of the panels, steps from Independence Hall, sparked outrage from Philadelphia officials and activists who say federal authorities are whitewashing the city’s history of slavery.
    — Corey Williams, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of whitewashing

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Cite this Entry

“Sugarcoating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sugarcoating. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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