# skate over

CEFR C1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/skate-over
Updated: 2026-10-23

## Definition

to avoid talking about a difficult subject in detail because you want to keep things simple or hide a problem.

For teachers: to treat a subject superficially or avoid dealing with a difficult issue in depth. Transitive; often used when a speaker or writer glosses over problematic details to maintain a narrative flow.

## Examples

- The report skates over the real reasons for the failure.
- During the meeting, the manager tried to skate over the budget cuts and focus only on the new projects.
- The biographer chose to skate over the subject's controversial early years, focusing instead on his later philanthropic achievements.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He skated over of the problem." but "He skated over the problem." — the phrase is a transitive phrasal verb and does not require an extra preposition like 'of' before the object.

## Usage notes

- usually followed by a noun phrase representing a problem, detail, or difficult topic.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'gloss over' (very similar) and 'delve into' (the opposite); the metaphor comes from ice skating quickly over thin ice to avoid falling through.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.