GUISE Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

guise

noun

ˈgīz

as in pretense

a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive he allowed himself to dine at fine restaurants all over the world under the guise of research for his book on international cuisine

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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

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as in appearance

outward and often deceptive indication hazing rituals may have the guise of harmless fun, but often the reality is serious physical abuse

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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 government insisted his case had nothing to do with press freedom, saying the defendants used journalism as a guise to commit acts that harmed Hong Kong and China. —

Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026 Both marques returned to the competition this year in new guises. —

Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2026 At an Antarctic research station, a shape-shifting alien creature — in the initial guise of a dog — takes over and metamorphosizes into a variety of beings, supplanting the humans until their mutual distrust and isolation lead to paranoia and violence. —

David Morgan, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026 Virtuosity, on this program, also came in subtler and more avant-garde guises. —

Rachel Howard, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for guise

Recent Examples of Synonyms for guise

Noun

Maybe the pretense was comforting to him, too.

— Cassandra Neyenesch, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
As architectural fashion has shifted, the software is no longer associated with complex geometry, and the pretense that digital tools might liberate architects—spurring them to new heights of creativity—has faded.

— Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026