sweep (something) under the rug

idiom

: to hide (something that is illegal, embarrassing, or wrong)

He tried to sweep his past mistakes under the rug.

Examples of sweep (something) under the rug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The series’ narrative examines the things women sweep under the rug, while also exploring issues of class and privilege. —

Patrick Frater, Variety, 1 Feb. 2024 The new report adds to several bombshell scoops Schmidle has had about the company's safety record, which its executives and PR officials have tried to sweep under the rug to save face among Virgin Galactic's wealthy clientele and would-be space travelers. —

Jackie Wattles, CNN, 2 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweep (something) under the rug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near sweep (something) under the rug

sweep (something) under the carpet

sweep (something) under the rug

sweepstakes

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“Sweep (something) under the rug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweep%20%28something%29%20under%20the%20rug. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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