paper over

English

Etymology

Suggesting the use of wallpaper to cover defects on a wall.

Verb

(transitive, figuratively) To superficially hide or disguise (a problem or a defect) without addressing it; to provide a veneer of normality or success.
- 2014, Patric Chovanec, at Bloomberg, China's Runaway Train is Running Out of Track
  Runaway lending continues, bad debts mount even higher, and the need for more cash to paper over losses becomes that much more acute.

See also

under the carpet

Anagrams

reapprove

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