1
as in explaining away
to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses
I don't want to gloss over her misbehavior, but keep in mind that she's been under a lot of stress lately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in ignoring
to dismiss as of little importance
this biographer tends to gloss over his subject's many character flaws
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for glossing (over)
Verb
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Offscreen, some fans accuse Wyle of explaining away or downplaying his fictional character’s cruelty, and of a constellation of other sins, including envy of his fellow actors’ credentials.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026 -
Former New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee asked ChatGPT for help explaining away his girlfriend’s fatal injuries a day before she was found dead in their Tennessee home, prosecutors said Monday.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors accused the trust, which convinced a federal district judge to order a temporary pause in construction, of ignoring claims that the project is needed to bolster national security.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
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But three days after withdrawing the lawsuit, Florida sued CMS for a third time, accusing the federal agency of ignoring the state’s public records request related to CMS’ approval of the KidCare expansion.—
Daniel Chang,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cherfilus-McCormick has denied wrongdoing, excusing the allegations as an accounting error.—
Lauren Peller,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
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But Australians should maintain confidence in due process, and refrain from jumping to conclusions by either damning Roberts-Smith or excusing him.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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What to read next The Japanese eatery, Yutori, is an open-air circular restaurant overlooking the sea.—
Ann Lee,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
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All Angelenos saw were enormous letters appearing on a ridge overlooking the freeway, and the city lost its mind.—
Matti Yahav,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The species evolved to adapt, with some growing larger and others smaller than their mainland counterparts, explaining the larger size of the island scrub-jay and the small size of the island fox.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
29 Apr. 2026
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In 2012, Classic Media was bought by DreamWorks Animation, which in turn was acquired by Universal Pictures parent NBCUniversal in 2016, explaining why the potential Disney+ series is a co-production between DreamWorks Animation TV and UCP.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The first step toward forgiving people who have hurt us is wanting to.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
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The projects are forgiving, the mess is encouraged and the payoff is something the whole family can admire in the yard for months to come.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The homeowner, Thania Magana, said flight data showed a plane passing over her neighborhood at the time, according to Hahn.—
Daniel S. Levine,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
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At the time of liftoff, the ISS — currently home to the seven-member Expedition 74 crew — was passing over the northern Pacific Ocean, too far away for the astronauts to see the launch directly.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Quiet-luxury proponents would often speak of frequency of use and cost per wear in justifying a four-figure black wool sweater.—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
28 Apr. 2026
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Military technology has become more sophisticated, but the minds justifying its use are stuck in the past.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Glossing (over).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glossing%20%28over%29. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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