smoke and mirrors
plural noun
: something intended to disguise or draw attention away from an often embarrassing or unpleasant issue
—usually hyphenated when used attributively
Examples of smoke and mirrors in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After covering the golf industry for three decades and keeping a close eye on what works and what is marketing smoke and mirrors, these are my personal picks for the current must-have golf gear, the best golf equipment for 2025.
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Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
That's all smoke and mirrors, counters lawyer Saharsky.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 2 Apr. 2025
Trump’s anti-transgender executive order is smoke and mirrors.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 7 Feb. 2025
No more smoke and mirrors—just data, integrity, and accessible language.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
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Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
That's all smoke and mirrors, counters lawyer Saharsky.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 2 Apr. 2025
Trump’s anti-transgender executive order is smoke and mirrors.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 7 Feb. 2025
No more smoke and mirrors—just data, integrity, and accessible language.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smoke and mirrors
Cite this Entry
“Smoke and mirrors.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smoke%20and%20mirrors. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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