draw a veil over

verb

To avoid discussing or calling attention to (something embarrassing or unpleasant).

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Meanings

verbdraw a veil over (third-person singular simple present draws a veil over, present participle drawing a veil over, simple past drew a veil over, past participle drawn a veil over)

present singular third person draws a veil over · participle present drawing a veil over · past drew a veil over · participle past drawn a veil over

  1. transitiveTo avoid discussing or calling attention to (something embarrassing or unpleasant).

    A steady 69 m.p.h. was maintained along the sea wall before Birchington, but beyond there it is best to draw a veil over the difficult starts from stops at all stations to Ramsgate, the priming and increasing loss of time.

    1959 April, P. Ransome-Wallis, “The Southern in Trouble on the Kent Coast”, in Trains Illustrated, London: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 220

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
sweep something under the rug

Translations

Hungarian fátylat borít, fátylat vet
  • fátylat borítto avoid discussing or calling attention to
  • fátylat vetto avoid discussing or calling attention to
Polish spuszczać zasłonę, spuścić zasłonę
  • spuszczać zasłonęto avoid discussing or calling attention to
  • spuścić zasłonęto avoid discussing or calling attention to
Spanish correr un tupido velo
  • correr un tupido veloto avoid discussing or calling attention to
Cite this entry
APA

draw a veil over. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/draw%20a%20veil%20over

MLA

“draw a veil over.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/draw%20a%20veil%20over. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “draw a veil over,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/draw%20a%20veil%20over.

Source: draw a veil over on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.