gloss over

/ɡlɔs ˈoʊvər/

Other forms: glossed over; glossing over; glosses over

To gloss over is to try to make something you're embarrassed about seem unimportant. A college tour guide might highlight the shiny new equipment in the chemistry labs but gloss over the disgusting food in the dining halls.

Whenever someone is being evasive, quickly bypassing or skimming a subject as if it just didn't matter, you may want to ask if they mean to gloss over the issue. You might, for example, draw your parents' attention to the fact that you cleaned the kitchen while they were out and gloss over the fact that you broke their serving bowl in the process.

Definitions of gloss over

1. verb

   treat hurriedly or avoid dealing with properly
   synonyms: skate over, skimp over, slur over, smooth over

   type of:

   do by, handle, treat

   interact in a certain way
2. verb

   cover up a misdemeanor, fault, or error
   “She tried to gloss over her mistakes”

   synonyms: hush up, sleek over, whitewash

   type of:

   cover, cover up

   hide from view or knowledge