sugarcoat

verb

Definition of sugarcoatnext
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.

Related Words

Relevance

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 sugarcoat There is no sugarcoating the reality. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 31 May 2026 Then, sugarcoating was the reflexive response. — Susan Page, USA Today, 29 May 2026 There’s no way to sugarcoat it. — Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 25 May 2026 Morgan didn’t sugarcoat the harder parts either. — Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 10 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sugarcoat
  1. explain
  2. justify
  3. excuse
  4. whitewash
  5. rationalize
  6. explain away
Verb
  • One of the questions, directed to David Hunt, director of finance for Entergy Arkansas, asks him to explain the reasoning for the classification of the payments.
    — Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Bernadette explains the racial nuances the Guardians might not know as newcomers to Earth, echoing the landmark 1971 Green Lantern/Green Arrow comic series, which attempts to bring the space cops down to Earth by exposing them to racial strife.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of explain
Verb
  • The government may not decide that Church teaching is insufficiently religious, insufficiently consistent with Catholic doctrine, or insufficiently compelling to justify an ecclesiastical policy.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Organizers of Tuesday's rally said the women were released from ICE detention after a judge granted their habeas corpus petitions, meaning the government was required to justify their continued detention.
    — Drew Aunkst, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of justify
Verb
  • State lawmakers passed legislation this summer to require school principals to excuse student absences related to private, off-campus religious instruction programs.
    — Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The abuse of women and girls has long been ignored, excused, protected and even turned into profit.
    — Jodi Bondi Norgaard, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of excuse
Verb
  • Polished stone-tile floors, whitewashed walls, and spacious bathrooms are common elements of all the rooms.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The one-bedroom space is minimal, deliberately quiet, and whitewashed.
    — Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of whitewash
Verb
  • At a time when antisemitism is too often minimized, rationalized or repackaged in more socially acceptable language, this kind of moral clarity matters.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The offense was bad Saturday, and there’s no spin or rationalizing the performance.
    — Zach Berman, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of rationalize
Verb
  • But Noelle wasn’t in daycare and had spent much of the COVID-19 pandemic at home, making the frequency of her illnesses harder for Kiya to explain away.
    — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Still, there's a difference between de-escalating and going out of your way to explain away the actions of the player who just blasted one of your own.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of explain away

Browse Nearby Words

suffusing
sugarcoat
sugarcoated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sugarcoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sugarcoat. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All