as in to excuse
to talk about or describe (something) in a way that makes it seem more pleasant or acceptable than it is
textbooks that sugarcoat history She has very strong opinions, and she doesn't try to sugarcoat them.
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Recent Examples of sugarcoat
There’s no way to sugarcoat it.
—
Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
Officials didn’t sugarcoat the fact that much more needs to be done.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
Tatum did not sugarcoat the emotions leading up to his return.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
KitKat is not sugarcoating its quest to find thousands of missing chocolates after thieves targeted the candy bar maker.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat
Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
Officials didn’t sugarcoat the fact that much more needs to be done.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
Tatum did not sugarcoat the emotions leading up to his return.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
KitKat is not sugarcoating its quest to find thousands of missing chocolates after thieves targeted the candy bar maker.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sugarcoat
Verb
-
Given the profusion of riad tourist accommodation in Marrakech, you’d be excused for thinking the buildings originated as hotels.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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Homeowners are also excused from the annual tax if the second home’s owner or the owner’s family is getting medical care in Greater Vancouver and lives outside that area, if the home is being repaired or substantially renovated.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
There was no explaining away a mistake like that.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
-
And yet the media finds a way to conveniently explain away violence.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After years spent diversifying its low-end components and moving electronics down from the high end to the middle of its range, Shimano has finally decided to rationalize everything.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
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At first, these moments can feel easy to rationalize.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
1 May 2026
Verb
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In recent years, even some advocates of free trade have come around to the idea that certain tariffs can be justified on strategic and national-security grounds, especially when working with an avowedly mercantilist country like China.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Those benefits justified a rule holding employers responsible when hybrid workers cause others injury while moving between their home and office.—
Dan Eaton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Vrabel, meanwhile, stumbled though multiple press conferences while trying to both avoid and explain the issue without ever really providing details.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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This may explain why credit markets barely budged after last week’s spending figures.—
Alaa Shahine Salha,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The attempts by the current administration to whitewash or erase certain aspects of American history, especially the horrors of slavery, are powerfully countered by the novel’s investigation of America’s origins and its polyphonic voices.—
Time,
Time,
12 May 2026
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The living room features whitewashed stone walls, a curved plaster fireplace, and polished concrete floors, while the kitchen has flat-front wood cabinets, a waterfall eat-in island, and exposed wood ceilings above clerestory windows.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sugarcoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sugarcoat. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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