smoke and mirrors
plural noun
: something intended to disguise or draw attention away from an often embarrassing or unpleasant issue
—usually hyphenated when used before another noun
Examples of smoke and mirrors in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Seductive and spellbinding, this would be like crushing on someone and not knowing whether to indulge in the enchanting love story or come to terms with it all being smoke and mirrors.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 Oct. 2025
Eventually, Christine is murdered and, after a lot of De Palma-esque smoke and mirrors, the killer is revealed to be Isabelle, who manipulated everyone around her into covering up the crime.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 23 Sep. 2025
On the opposite end, skeptics wave AI off as smoke and mirrors.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
There is no progress with him, only smoke and mirrors and tax breaks for the ultra wealthy.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smoke and mirrors
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Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 Oct. 2025
Eventually, Christine is murdered and, after a lot of De Palma-esque smoke and mirrors, the killer is revealed to be Isabelle, who manipulated everyone around her into covering up the crime.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 23 Sep. 2025
On the opposite end, skeptics wave AI off as smoke and mirrors.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
There is no progress with him, only smoke and mirrors and tax breaks for the ultra wealthy.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 20 Aug. 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 10 Nov. 2025.
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