1. to make something appear more attractive or acceptable on the surface without addressing underlying problems
Usage: often used critically or disapprovingly; transitive verb

Examples

• The company tried to cosmeticize its poor environmental record with a new green marketing campaign.
• Critics argued that the reforms merely cosmeticized the deeper structural issues in the system.
• You can't cosmeticize a broken product; you have to fix what's actually wrong.
• The government's policy changes were dismissed as an attempt to cosmeticize the failing economy.
• Rather than cosmeticize the problem, the team decided to tackle it head-on.
• The makeover cosmeticized the old building, but it still needed serious repairs.