sugarcoating

verb

present participle of sugarcoat
as in explaining
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.

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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 sugarcoating The script by Kevin Wade throws up hurdles of sexism and class snobbery, never sugarcoating how Tess’s male co-workers treat her like a blow-up doll. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 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 One in four jobs at risk The bank isn’t sugarcoating AI’s reach. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 4 May 2026 There is no sugarcoating the depth of disagreement between public health and MAHA over some life-and-death interventions such as vaccines. — Tom W. Johnson, STAT, 26 Jan. 2026 There’s no sugarcoating it—more intricate lace nail art can be tricky to nail (pun intended) for beginners. — Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 27 Dec. 2025 There’s no use sugarcoating it—MGP has hit a bit of a rough patch over the past year. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 14 Dec. 2025 Firstly, Fabian has a knack for sugarcoating unwelcome news. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sugarcoating
  1. explaining
  2. justifying
  3. excusing
  4. whitewashing
Verb
  • Before explaining what the technology can do, understand what the customer is trying to accomplish.
    — William Arruda, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • In the Situational Awareness fund move, Griffin sent investors a letter explaining Citadel’s stock actions with the AI company.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of explaining
Verb
  • Former grand mufti Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, an Assad loyalist who was vocally in support of the government's policies, was convicted of inciting violence and justifying murder.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The second, less visible but arguably more consequential, is that the capability gap justifying dependence on closed frontier labs has nearly disappeared.
    — Pawel Rzeszucinski, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of justifying
Verb
  • Not that Miss Manners is excusing those who burst into dinner parties after the roast has been ruined — along with the other guests’ attitudes, most likely — and then blame it on traffic.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
  • Part of that is the team’s fault, as Boone and Cashman have spent much of his career staunchly defending and excusing the former first-round pick’s poor play.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 July 2026
Definition of excusing
Verb
  • Japan’s Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum has been accused of whitewashing the country’s wartime past.
    — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2026
  • The overnight removal and replacement of the panels, steps from Independence Hall, sparked outrage from Philadelphia officials and activists who say federal authorities are whitewashing the city’s history of slavery.
    — Corey Williams, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of whitewashing

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Cite this Entry

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

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