paper over

verb

papered over; papering over; papers over

: to gloss over, explain away, or patch up (differences, disparities, etc.) especially in order to maintain a semblance of unity or agreement

: hide, conceal

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 The latest government attempt to paper over the problem, in place since 2018, expired at the end of March. —

Mick Krever, CNN, 25 June 2024 Place a sheet of parchment paper over the top of the ice cream before putting the lid back on. —

Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 9 July 2024 Nuclear weapons cannot paper over conventional military weakness because threats to escalate—even by a desperate enemy—are not credible. —

Keir A. Lieber, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023 Indeed, friction inside the paper over coverage of the Gaza war may be one of the reasons executive editor Kevin Merida left the Times in January. —

Lachlan Cartwright, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 See all Example Sentences for paper over

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paper over.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of paper over was in 1910

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Paper over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paper%20over. Accessed 8 Sep. 2024.

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