as in to polish
to cover (something) with varnish
He varnished the table.
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Recent Examples of varnish
News Desk, Artforum, 6 Feb. 2025
Red and brown cliffs, varnished by thousands of years of high-desert weather, towered on either side of me.
—Derek M. Norman, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
Theo Belci, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
One was working with the nonprofit Mundo Espiral Foundation to establish a Pasto Varnish apprenticeship program that paired 55 apprentices with experienced mopa-mopa harvesters, wood masters, and varnish masters.
—Kristin Houser, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for varnish
Verb
Both works underwent conservation at Harvard, with conservators Ellen Davis and Kate Smith noting that Two Human Beings had at one point been varnished, in a move inconsistent with Munch’s practice, and that Train Smoke had accumulated atmospheric grime and was in need of paint stabilization.
—News Desk, Artforum, 6 Feb. 2025
Red and brown cliffs, varnished by thousands of years of high-desert weather, towered on either side of me.
—Derek M. Norman, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
Fabric layers mesh and bond; glass pellets, mother-of-pearl beads, and cables get nestled into crevices, trapped under hardened strata of varnish.
—Theo Belci, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
One was working with the nonprofit Mundo Espiral Foundation to establish a Pasto Varnish apprenticeship program that paired 55 apprentices with experienced mopa-mopa harvesters, wood masters, and varnish masters.
—Kristin Houser, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for varnish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for varnish
Verb
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Grab your wands and polish your broomsticks, because Hogwarts is calling.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
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The stage puts a spotlight on smack-talk skills, functioning like a gym where wrestlers work out their character muscles, polish their submission holds and perfect their trash-talking chops in front of a panel of judges.—
Anthony Solorzano,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Their bestselling gloss sells one every 10 minutes.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
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Luckily, today’s affordable beauty is packed with countless high-shine glosses, dewy setting sprays, innovative concealers, and so much more—all of which deliver luxurious results without the luxury price tag.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And maybe the biggest reason these proposals rub people the wrong way is timing.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Just to rub it in, Horan, now aged 32, has a pub at his home.—
Lars Brandle,
Billboard,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The day before trout season opened, Bob Markle and another warden, the late Johnny Helsing, put a speeder on a track maintained by a veneer company operating out of Glidden, in Ashland County.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
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Vast’s Haven-1 module, for example, is designed to have just 45 cubic meters (1,500 cubic feet) of habitable volume, with soft white walls accented by maple wood veneer slats that conceal research gadgets in the walls.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Weeks later, the Queen tapped that relationship to smooth a diplomatic contretemps.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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Instead of focusing on a single step, these formulas tend to combine exfoliation, hydration, brightening, and smoothing into one multipurpose formula.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The observed activity could instead reflect internal neural processes, such as refinement of camouflage abilities.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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The observed activity could instead reflect internal neural processes such as refinement of camouflage abilities.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The churros are being coated with blue sugar, a nod to World Series champs.—
Kara Finnstrom,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Re-whisk dressing if needed; drizzle ⅓ cup dressing over salad and toss to coat.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Work on a potter’s wheel, hand build and glaze pieces created from scratch.—
Jessie Dax-Setkus,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
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The Pima County Sheriff's Department updated Sheriff Chris Nanos' public resume Tuesday after a local news report highlighted an error in his work history that appeared to glaze over an unhappy split with his first employer in law enforcement.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Varnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/varnish. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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