paper over
verb
papered over; papering over; papers over
1
: to gloss over, explain away, or patch up (differences, disparities, etc.) especially in order to maintain a semblance of unity or agreement
Examples of paper over in a Sentence
the differences between the two factions are too great to be papered over in the name of party unity
the company tried to paper over its red ink, issuing assurances that it was still financially sound
Recent Examples on the Web
Duke’s stream of long, tall, NBA-ready standouts smothered Alabama and papered over Cooper Flagg’s rough shooting night to lift the Blue Devils to the program’s 18th Final Four with an 85-65 victory Saturday night in the NCAA Tournament’s East Region final.
—
Eddie Pells, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
Episode capped intense lobbying effort by American allies The stunning episode in Washington had capped a week of what turned out to be largely futile efforts by U.S. allies to paper over differences between Washington and Kyiv and to try to steer Trump away from his flirtations with Moscow.
—Zeke Miller, The Denver Post, 1 Mar. 2025
Perhaps this will be a turning point to look back at one day, a confirmation of their plight rather than a scrappy win that papers over the cracks.
—Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
The connection between Nafisi and Bahri is presented with complexity and without sentimentality, neither papering over political differences nor caricaturing Bahri as a generic revolutionary.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paper over
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Eddie Pells, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
Episode capped intense lobbying effort by American allies The stunning episode in Washington had capped a week of what turned out to be largely futile efforts by U.S. allies to paper over differences between Washington and Kyiv and to try to steer Trump away from his flirtations with Moscow.
—Zeke Miller, The Denver Post, 1 Mar. 2025
Perhaps this will be a turning point to look back at one day, a confirmation of their plight rather than a scrappy win that papers over the cracks.
—Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
The connection between Nafisi and Bahri is presented with complexity and without sentimentality, neither papering over political differences nor caricaturing Bahri as a generic revolutionary.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paper over
Cite this Entry
“Paper over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paper%20over. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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