paper
noun
a substance made from wood pulp, rags, straw, or other fibrous material, usually in thin sheets, used to bear writing or printing, for wrapping things, etc.
was papering
-
past progressiveof paper.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On Monday, the climate-vulnerable Alliance of Small Island States said countries could not keep ignoring "the elephant in the room" and warned that anything short of winding down fossil fuels was "papering over the cracks".
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
ActionAid UK's co-chief Hannah Bond, said that without new funding, her appointment was "papering over the cracks" of a struggling aid sector.
From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2025
But it felt that everyone was papering over the cracks.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 9, 2020
From the window of the room where Slyme was papering, one could see into the front garden.
From The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Tressell, Robert
He had been working with Slyme, who was papering a large boarded ceiling in a shop.
From The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Tressell, Robert
