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

Tech likely will paper over those cracks for the time being.

From Barron's ● May 13, 2026

Federal pandemic largesse helped paper over the district’s budget problems for a time and supercharged hiring.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026

When I don’t answer, he slides a piece of paper over.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari