paper over

British  

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to conceal (something controversial or unpleasant)

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paper over Idioms  

1. Also, paper over the cracks. Repair superficially, conceal, especially flaws. For example, He used some accounting gimmicks to paper over a deficit, or It was hardly a perfect settlement, but they decided to paper over the cracks. The German statesman Otto von Bismarck first used this analogy in a letter in 1865, and the first recorded example in English, in 1910, referred to it. The allusion is to covering cracked plaster with wallpaper, thereby improving its appearance but not the underlying defect.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

paper over

She notes that, as a public program for seniors, it is so inadequate that it requires private options, such as Medigap and Medicare Advantage, to paper over coverage gaps.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

The contradictions are getting harder to paper over, as evidenced by Alex Clark’s mess of a speech.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

It would be wrong to paper over the cracks or whitewash the issues Mexico has faced in the run-up to kick, argues Mexican football journalist, Rafael Puente.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

Croft: When we get to summer, it’s going to be harder to paper over the degree of the supply shock.

From Barron's ● May 15, 2026

Dad didn’t look up as I approached, so gently, slowly, I slid the paper over the blueprints.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover