He tried to varnish over the facts, but it was useless.

他想粉饰事实，但那是徒劳的。

《新英汉大辞典》

He tried to varnish over the truth with a lie.

他试图用谎言来掩盖真相。

youdao

Glenys Pearl has just spilled a bottle of purple nail varnish all over the bed and Johnny has been screaming for his lunch.

BBC: Cerys Matthews

Tests carried out in 2004 on the boards of this room dating back to the 1830s revealed the original surface beneath grime, discolored varnish and the repainting done by maintenance staff over fifty years ago.

FORBES: The Work of Undoing the Past