as in polishing
to cover (something) with varnish
He varnished the table.
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Recent Examples of varnishing
Like most ’80s metal heroes who briefly lost their way in the late ’90s, Megadeth have spent the 21st century varnishing their legacy with what’s tried and true, delivering eight LPs since 2001 that all basically sound the same.
—
Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026
Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for varnishing
Verb
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While rivals like the Tacoma and Colorado constantly reinvent themselves, Nissan tends to take the long road by refining, tweaking, and polishing instead of blowing everything up every few years.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 May 2026
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Various owners have taken the reins over the years, but all were committed to preserving the bar’s old-school character rather than polishing, upgrading, or updating it away.—
Skye Sherman,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Pettis took out a paper towel and began rubbing the paints together on the easel.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
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Also, avoid rubbing the scent onto your skin, as this degrades the fragrance.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Duffy has said the system could help planners spot problems weeks in advance, smoothing schedules before delays begin to stack up.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
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The smoothing fabric is flattering at the waist and thighs, and the flare bottoms provide just enough of a pop of style to make these jeans fun, but still appropriate for just about any setting.—
Taylor Fox,
Travel + Leisure,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Spring means beautiful flowers, fragrant lilacs – and lots of tree pollen coating cars and setting off sneezing, wheezing and headaches.—
Levi Keller,
The Conversation,
5 May 2026
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The process begins by separating a couple of small silicon chips from a larger sheet, then coating them with a layer of oxide in a high-temperature furnace.—
Jon Martindale,
PC Magazine,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Varnishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/varnishing. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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