Idiom idiom
gloss over
Meaning
To cover up a mistake or a crime; to hush up or whitewash.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“Don't try to gloss over your mistakes.”
“The manager tried to gloss over the budget errors, but the accountant noticed the missing money immediately.”
“Rather than addressing the systemic failures of the project, the director chose to gloss over the details in his report to the board.”
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Last updated August 10, 2026