veneer 1 of 2

1
as in facade
a deceptively attractive external appearance the veneer of civility that the neighbors had maintained over the years disappeared with the filing of the first lawsuit

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2
as in exterior
an outer part or layer the top and sides of the desk are overlaid with cherry veneers, while the interior wood is white pine

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veneer

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of veneer
Noun
Illusion of Civility: exposing the dark undercurrents that lurk beneath the veneer of polite society. Martine Paris, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025 Beneath whatever veneer of intellectual objectivity, any book as incandescently furious as this one is ultimately a long cry of pain. Charles Finch, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
Your table is almost certainly veneered, meaning that the top has a thin layer of beautiful wood glued to a base material, which could be plywood or particleboard. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2023 And if Psyche does have a rocky mantle, ferrovolcanic seeps could have veneered it with metal from the asteroid’s core. Michael Greshko, National Geographic, 18 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for veneer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for veneer
Noun
  • Fact to know: In collaboration with the Dilworth Historic Commission, the project team used traditional materials and techniques — including the help of a master stonemason with access to original quarries — to ensure consistency with the church’s limestone facade.
    Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Its grand facade, looming over the misty abyss of Tequendama Falls, is the kind of place that invites amazement and a little unease.
    Josh Rivera, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The exterior is European flax linen and the feather-down insert with its organic cotton shell is the ideal medium firmness.
    Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Inside are four credit card slots, a passport pocket, a SIM card slot, and a pen holder, while the exterior has a slim ticket sleeve for your boarding pass.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • It’s entirely made of cotton that has been coated with polyvinyl to create a sturdy material with the look of pebbled leather, which is as water-resistant and stain-repellent as hide.
    Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Cook, stirring gently and spooning sauce over meatballs, until evenly coated and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meatballs registers at least 160°F, 3 to 5 minutes.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Then, almost all at once, the insects burrow upward and break through the surface of the soil, often making their presence known by erupting in loud and at times constant choruses.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2025
  • The full story begins 70 to 60 million years ago, when a slab of rock sliding into Earth’s mantle melted, creating a plume that reached the surface some 30 million years later.
    David Bressan, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Both works underwent conservation at Harvard, with conservators Ellen Davis and Kate Smith noting that Two Human Beings had at one point been varnished, in a move inconsistent with Munch’s practice, and that Train Smoke had accumulated atmospheric grime and was in need of paint stabilization.
    News Desk, Artforum, 6 Feb. 2025
  • Red and brown cliffs, varnished by thousands of years of high-desert weather, towered on either side of me.
    Derek M. Norman, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The computer’s latest forecast now has Wycombe down to finish second with an average of 88.75 points across those simulations to Wrexham’s 87.13 points.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Miami rallied, finished strong, believed, and these past two play-in games have nourished that belief.
    Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Scrape glaze into a small zip-top plastic bag; seal bag and snip a small hole in 1 corner of bag.
    Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Too early in the day, and those slushy bumps are glazed over and filled with death cookies.
    Lily Krass, Outside Online, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Consumers face an overall average effective tariff rate of 28%, the highest since 1901, according to the Yale Budget Lab. Need a break?
    Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
  • The agency has faced calls for years to pull other synthetic food dyes derived from petroleum like Red 40, which is largely absent from food in some other countries.
    Paula Cohen, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Veneer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/veneer. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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