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

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

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

Absent a way to boost growth to lift young Chinese’s fortunes, the government tried to paper over the problem.

From The Wall Street Journal ● 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

This became especially apparent during the pandemic, when many artists in the city — including himself — began to paper over the cracks and were perceived as living as usual.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026

I wanted to fold a paper over, sit back, and read every word.

From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia