sweep sth under the rug

/swˈiːp ˌɛstˌiːˈeɪtʃ ˌʌndə ðə ɹˈʌɡ/

/swˈiːp ˌɛstˌiːˈeɪtʃ ˌʌndɚ ðə ɹˈʌɡ/

to sweep sth under the rug

to pretend that something is not happening or is not the case

Examples

1. The committee is being accused of sweeping financial problems under the rug to avoid embarrassment.

2. By sweeping the wrongdoing under the rug, executives seek to avoid being accused of mismanagement by directors and shareholders.

3. For decades, the United States government tried to sweep this incident under the rug, because they were truly embarrassed.

4. And I really don't think, in many ways, that you can move on until you do deal with what's happened and don't sweep it under the rug.