put a blanket over
Make (something) seem less serious.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He tried to put a blanket over the bad news.”
“The manager attempted to put a blanket over the company's financial losses during the meeting.”
“Rather than addressing the systemic failures directly, the administration sought to put a blanket over the scandal to maintain public confidence.”
- 01
blanket term
A word or phrase that is used to describe multiple groups of related things.
- 02
lipstick on a pig
To make superficial or cosmetic changes to something in a doomed attempt to disguise its fundamental flaws.
- 03
not to put too fine a point on it
Used to apologize for a possibly impolite statement one is making; to put it bluntly; to express it in plain terms.
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put a band-aid on a bullet wound
To inadequately treat a serious situation.
- 05
put a bug in someone's ear
To make a small suggestion or give a hint that causes the listener to act.
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put a damper on
To stop people from enjoying an activity.
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put a foot wrong
To make a mistake.
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put a gun to someone's head
To compel someone (to do something); to create a situation in which someone has no alternative course of action.
Last updated August 10, 2026