spackle
spackle — noun
1. a soft white paste, or the dry powder you stir into water to make it, that harde
a soft white paste, or the dry powder you stir into water to make it, that hardens after drying and is pushed into small holes or cracks in a wall so the surface looks smooth again.
Selim spread a thin layer of spackle over the nail holes before painting.
spread + spackle over [surface]
The bucket of spackle had dried into a hard lump after sitting open all winter.
uncountable: a bucket of spackle
Linh mixed the powder with water until the spackle was thick and creamy.
Once the spackle dries, sand it smooth and the crack will disappear.
用法筆記
Uncountable: say 'some spackle' or 'a layer of spackle', never 'a spackle'. Originally a brand name, now used in American English for any wall-filling paste of this kind.
常見錯誤
2. something used to hide a fault or weakness for a while, so it looks dealt with e
something used to hide a fault or weakness for a while, so it looks dealt with even though the real trouble underneath is still there.
The new logo was just spackle over a company that customers no longer trusted.
figurative: spackle over [a deeper problem]
Ada called the cheerful press release pure spackle, hiding months of layoffs.
spackle = surface cover for a hidden fault
A friendly smile can be spackle that covers how angry someone really feels.
Cheap paint was spackle on a house whose roof was about to fall in.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this is a figurative extension where the 'hole' being filled is a problem or fault rather than a real wall, and the cover-up is usually criticised as shallow.
spackle — verb
- spacklepresent simple I / you / we / they
- spackles3rd person singular
- spackling-ing form
- spackledpast simple
1. to push soft paste into the small holes or cracks in a wall and let it harden, s
to push soft paste into the small holes or cracks in a wall and let it harden, so the surface becomes smooth and ready to paint.
Jin spackled every nail hole before the new tenants moved in.
spackle + [hole] as object
We spackled the long crack above the kitchen window on Saturday morning.
spackle + [crack]
Christopher spackled the bedroom walls, then waited a day for them to dry.
The cracks were spackled and sanded before anyone painted the hallway.
文法句型
spackle + [hole/crack]
spackle + [wall]
用法筆記
Object is normally the hole, crack, or wall being repaired, not the paste itself. Often paired with 'sand' and 'paint' to describe the full repair sequence.
2. to spread a soft, thick substance over a surface in a rough, uneven layer, the w
to spread a soft, thick substance over a surface in a rough, uneven layer, the way filling paste is smeared onto a wall.
Ishaan spackled mustard across the bread until it dripped off the edges.
spackle + [surface] with thick substance
The toddler had spackled yogurt all over the high-chair tray.
spackle = spread thickly and messily
Nikos spackled sunscreen onto his nose in a thick white stripe.
Imani spackled glue along the box flaps to hold them shut.
文法句型
spackle + [surface] + with [substance]
用法筆記
Informal and often humorous: the image is of a thick, careless smear rather than a neat coat. Distinguish from sense 1, where the surface is a wall and the goal is a smooth repair.
3. to hide or patch up a problem on the surface with some quick measure, while leav
to hide or patch up a problem on the surface with some quick measure, while leaving the real cause untouched.
The manager tried to spackle over the budget gap with one cheerful email.
spackle over + [problem]
Rodrigo spackled over the team's anger with jokes, but nobody felt better.
spackle over = hide rather than fix
You cannot spackle over a broken friendship with a single gift.
The report spackled over the safety failures instead of naming them clearly.
- gloss over
treat a problem as small to avoid dealing with it
- paper over
hide a disagreement or fault so things look fine on the surface
- resolve
actually deal with and end the problem
文法句型
spackle over + [problem]
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'over' and carries criticism: the speaker thinks the fix is shallow. Distinguish from sense 1, where a real wall is genuinely repaired.