guise

1
2
as in costume
clothing chosen as appropriate for a specific situation she felt as though she should be wearing some sort of Germanic guise, complete with dirndl, for the fall festival featuring traditional German food and drink

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in mask
clothing put on to hide one's true identity or imitate someone or something else he sneaked into the castle to rescue Ivanhoe in the guise of a priest coming to give Ivanhoe his last rites

Synonyms & Similar Words

4

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of guise The cases range from political agitators seeking to intimidate immigrants to others using the guise of authority to allegedly kidnap, rob or assault victims. Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025 Also bear in mind that while these benchmark results above outline one optimal implementation of the X2 family, that won’t be the only guise that these chips show up in, by far. Wendy Sheehan Donnell, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025 All this reintroduces the problem of arbitrary outcomes, in a different guise. Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025 Unfortunately a recent deep fake has come in the guise of a friend. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for guise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guise
Noun
  • His memoir told of workhouse guards beating prisoners on the least pretense, and of one guard who regularly shoved prisoners down flights of stairs.
    Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said in a May report that women from more than 20 African countries had been recruited under false pretences to make drones for Russia’s war.
    Reuters 16 hr ago, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Kids got to wear a bit of costume before their school week began, fully embracing their superhero alter egos.
    Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
  • The show teetered between artists — Brandy with three songs here, Monica with two there — making for a ceaseless conveyor belt of hits and many, many costume changes.
    Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • White noise machines and humidifiers are frequently available, along with extra blankets, air purifiers, and blackout curtains or sleep masks.
    Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Philips’ mask popped off her head and Canadian winger Emma Maltais still fired a shot at the net, just missing Philips.
    Michael Russo, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • First-team appearances came in the National League Cup ties against the under-21 side of Leeds United from the Premier League and second-division Middlesbrough, and dual-registration rules allowed Gjoshe to link up with Bottesford last month.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
  • The Roberts court, unusually obsessed with the Supreme Court’s public reputation and appearance of political interference, might consider such a ruling a way to balance limiting executive power without tanking the broader economy.
    Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • While no major changes to the building's facade are anticipated, the project calls for a one-story addition to its north annex.
    Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The money, the success — all a facade.
    Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The barely believable but entirely true story saw gay rights activists trick their way into the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, London by dressing plainly and conservatively – one even went as far as dressing as nun, while another donned the garbs of a bishop.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Some teenage girls in matching hoodies chatted near the baggage claim carousel, and a group in traditional Orthodox Jewish garb congregated on the curb outside terminal 3.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The elder Ciattarelli slapped his forward with his right hand as his son, dressed in camouflage fatigues, approached for a hug.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Their first hypothesis was that the bats, which roost in leaf foliage during the summer, use the glow for camouflage.
    Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But special moments in special seasons bloom when least expected, and Cooper smiled in the face of the impossible.
    The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • But in today’s world of digital creators, those seeking fame face competition in a way Khan’s generation never could have imagined.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Guise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guise. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

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