sugar the pill

1. Make something unpleasant more palatable, as in There would be no Christmas bonus this year but management sugared the pill by giving workers extra vacation time over the holidays. [Late 1700s]

Example Sentences

As Roberts put it, “He doesn’t try to sugar the pill.”

From Washington Post

But there was no attempt to sugar the pill as he added that scale of the challenge could not be underestimated.

From BBC

However, it won’t do to sugar the pill: this was not a memorable final.

From The Guardian

A proven benefit would really sugar the pill for wary politicians.

From Economist

He didn’t sugar the pill, telling MPs that many of the measures in the bailout bill will be recessionary.

From The Guardian