The label span used `truncate`, whose ellipsis stops the text ~8px short
of the overlay. The hover gradient then faded over empty tab surface —
surface to the same surface, invisible by construction — and the ✕ read
as floating in a gap beside three dots.
A closeable tab publishes `data-closeable`; the label reads it via
`group-data-[closeable]/tab:text-clip` so overflow runs under the fade
and the gradient dissolves real letterforms. Vertical rails and
uncloseable tabs have no ✕, so they keep the ellipsis.
Brooklyn Nicholson
ff75ff2a18