skate over

British  

verb

1. to cross on or as if on skates

2. to avoid dealing with (a matter) fully

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skate over Idioms  

1. Treat superficially or hurriedly, avoid mentioning, as in He concentrated on the main points of the contract and skated over the details. This idiom transfers the gliding motion of skating to dealing with something in a cursory way. [Mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

But skating over the Olympic rings imprinted on the Milan ice rink has "felt different than any other competition," he said.

From Barron's

Then on Saturday night, in his first time skating over the Olympic rings, the 21-year-old Malinin had proven to be mortal.

From The Wall Street Journal

Representatives of both firms kept their public remarks vague Tuesday, skating over specific instances of corruption they may have come across and focusing instead on recommendations to strengthen county contracting.

From Los Angeles Times

The 29-year-old skates over 24 minutes a game for Toronto, and his contributions in all facets are difficult to replace.

From Seattle Times

Gia smiled, her blue eyes skating over them.

From Literature