sleek over

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The phrase "sleek over" is not commonly used in English, but you might be thinking of the phrase "gloss over." "Gloss over" means to cover up or minimize the seriousness of something, such as a mistake, fault, or a problem. When someone glosses over something, they try to make it seem less important or serious than it really is.

Explanation:

• Verb: To gloss over means to avoid discussing something in detail, often to make it seem less bad.

Usage Instructions:

• You can use "gloss over" when talking about a situation where someone is not being honest or is trying to downplay the seriousness of an issue.

Example:

• "During the meeting, he tried to gloss over the mistakes made in the project report, but everyone noticed."

Advanced Usage:

• In more formal contexts, you might say, "The politician attempted to gloss over his previous failures in order to gain public support."

Word Variants:

• Gloss (noun): A superficial comment or explanation.
• Glossy (adjective): Shiny or smooth; often used to describe a surface.

Different Meanings:

• "Gloss" can also mean to add a shine or polish to something (like a surface), but in this context, it specifically refers to downplaying or covering up information.

Synonyms:

• Cover up
• Downplay
• Minimize
• Whitewash (meaning to cover up faults or wrongdoings)
• Smooth over

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• Whitewash: This idiom means to cover up wrongdoing or to make something appear better than it actually is.

  • Example: "The company tried to whitewash the scandal by releasing a positive report."

• Smooth over: This phrasal verb means to make a problem or disagreement seem less serious.

  • Example: "She tried to smooth over the argument between her friends."

Summary:

To "gloss over" something is to avoid talking about it in detail, often in an attempt to minimize its importance or seriousness.

Academic

Verb

1. cover up a misdemeanor, fault, or error
   • Let's not whitewash the crimes of Stalin
   • She tried to gloss over her mistakes

Synonyms

• whitewash
• gloss over
• hush up