To hide or sweep a problem under the rug — to cover up an issue and ignore it rather than solving it, with a negative nuance.
会社は責任問題を公にせず、臭い物に蓋をするような対応をした。
The company handled it by covering it up instead of making the responsibility public.
問題を先送りして臭い物に蓋をするのは、後で大きな代償を招くことが多い。
Postponing issues and sweeping them under the rug often leads to greater costs later on.
臭い物に蓋をするのではなく、早めに原因を突き止めて対処すべきだ。
Rather than covering up the problem, you should find the cause early and deal with it.