smoke and mirrors
plural noun
Definition of smoke and mirrors
: something intended to disguise or draw attention away from an often embarrassing or unpleasant issue —usually hyphenated when used attributively
From the M-W Editors
First Known Use of smoke and mirrors
1979
SMOKE AND MIRRORS Defined for English Language Learners
smoke and mirrors
noun
Definition of smoke and mirrors for English Language Learners
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: something that seems good but is not real or effective and that is done especially to take attention away from something else that is embarrassing or unpleasant
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