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Janus-faced

adjective

ˈjā-nəs-ˌfāst How to pronounce Janus-faced (audio)
Definition of Janus-facednext
as in double
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express there was a Janus-faced quality to the interview: for all of the smiling and nodding, the interviewer's body language expressed deep boredom

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for Janus-faced
  1. double
  2. fake
  3. lip
  4. strained
  5. hypocritical
  6. superficial
  7. hollow
Adjective
  • Ticketed economy and premium economy passengers who are at least 15 years old can pay $495 to book a four-hour session (no double bookings allowed).
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The bedroom itself is a typical loft with a low ceiling and a double bed, and is accessed by the storage staircase.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of double
Adjective
  • The Scarlet Knights ran a fake punt to convert a fourth and 21 for a 44-yard gain that sparked a touchdown drive to close the gap to three points.
    — Sean Campbell, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The products, which sport fake USDA inspection labels, were distributed to grocery stores and restaurants across the United States.
    — Julia Hawkins, Idaho Statesman, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of fake
Adjective
  • Likewise, lip masks designed to be worn overnight can provide improved hydration and comfort over daytime treatments.
    — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026
  • On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tatianna points to cinnamon as a conductor of heat—one commonly used in lip plumper products to achieve a sultry pout.
    — Essence, Essence, 23 Nov. 2025
Definition of lip
Adjective
  • Harris has a strained relationship with the party's progressive wing, which includes El-Sayed, and El-Sayed is eager to solidify establishment support during his campaign against Republican nominee Mike Rogers, a former congressman.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The nonfiction feature examines the filmmaker’s strained relationship with her father, an estrangement caused by his Oxycontin addiction.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of strained
Adjective
  • There is something deeply hypocritical about discovering and using the language of women’s liberation only when your own status, reputation, or income is at stake.
    — Laura Jung, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That some people in these industries, including those who are well paid, would look at our economy and seek out other ways of doing things is neither hypocritical nor surprising.
    — Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of hypocritical
Adjective
  • That sets up a meeting in which any agreements might be superficial but a possible start to something larger.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Why Proxy Networks Are Different While proxy structure is also rented from third-party providers and serves as core infrastructure for data tasks, the resemblance is superficial at scale.
    — Mindaugas Čaplinskas, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of superficial
Adjective
  • Every unfilled titanium lattice sank as water flooded its hollow channels.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2026
  • According to Mason Huddleston, an urban agriculturalist at Oklahoma State University Extension, one of the plant’s most distinguishing features is its smooth, hollow stem, marked with purple or reddish-purple spots.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of hollow
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

janitors
Janus-faced
japan
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Cite this Entry

“Janus-faced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Janus-faced. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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