paper over — conceal problems (figurative)
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
to hide or cover up problems or disagreements, especially by making them seem less serious than they really are, rather than actually solving them
Say it like a native
Textbook They attempted to superficially conceal their fundamental disagreements.
Native They just papered over the cracks.
The idiom 'paper over (the cracks)' is vivid; the literal paraphrase is flat.
Pattern: paper over something
In use
- The company tried to paper over the financial problems, but the truth eventually came out.relationships
- In my opinion, introducing new policies without addressing the root causes simply papers over the issues rather than creating lasting change.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ They papered the problem.
✓ They papered over the problem.
It needs 'over' — 'paper over' the cracks/differences.
Common collocations
paper over the cracks— paper over the cracks, paper over, differences, the divisions
Don't confuse it
Unlike the literal sense of covering something with paper, this figurative sense means to hide or gloss over issues without addressing the real cause.