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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Alyssa Farah Griffin attempted to cut in, with Navarro ignoring her in the moment.—
Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
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James said the administration has not provided evidence of fraud or misuse of child care funding in New York, while ignoring the standard processes for withholding such funds.—
Verb
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There is no excusing his remarks about Childress, whose everyman, never-back-down persona is something with which many fans identify.—
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There was also the spat with coach Steve Kerr that resulted in Green excusing himself to the locker room and never returning.—
Verb
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More chill offerings abound in the new outdoor space with a bar and NCL’s first overhanging private cabanas overlooking the Vibe Beach Club.—
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Save time for the palace’s photogenic courtyards and water gardens overlooking the gorge.—
Verb
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Fishback referenced Rain directly when explaining his proposal.—
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In explaining that earlier decision, Lamberth chastised government officials for failing to provide any evidence to support its claims about national security concerns.—
Verb
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This opening scene establishes a human, forgiving tone for a movie in which we are often encouraged to laugh with our heroes but never at them.—
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The waistband of the wide-leg trousers is fitted with elastic for a stretchy, forgiving fit, and they’re even designed with two deep side pockets that’ll hold your phone in a pinch.—
Verb
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Alarmists will often focus on the negative while passing over potential positive outcomes.—
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The epicenter of the hurricane is passing over Cuba at the opposite end of the island to the Caribbean country's capital city of Havana, the BBC noted.—
Verb
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Two skeptics of the COVID vaccine, who were appointed to administration roles just last month, authored a brief assessment justifying the overhaul.—
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But the opinion from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel justifying the strikes remains classified.—
Verb
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There are extenuating circumstances.—
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Loan officers may also explore why your credit score is low and consider extenuating circumstances.—
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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 20 Jan. 2026.
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