Potemkin village

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 Potemkin village But his proudest accomplishments amount to little more than a progressive Potemkin village. Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025 Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder portray a married couple who build a Potemkin village of eco-friendly homes and pour-over coffee shops in a struggling New Mexico town. Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 But behind the Potemkin village, the Khmer Rouge regime is declining and the war with Vietnam threatens to invade the country. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2024 Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder portray a married couple who build a Potemkin village of eco-friendly homes and pour-over coffee shops in a struggling New Mexico town. Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 But behind the Potemkin village, the Khmer Rouge regime is declining and the war with Vietnam threatens to invade the country. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2024 The resort reproduces an ancient Apulian town and farmhouse in a project that some locals have likened to a Mediterranean Potemkin village. Emma Bubola, New York Times, 11 June 2024 The fake blood, the cars on rails, the Potemkin villages, not to mention the computer graphics, the herds and armies and tempests that exist only in code. Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024 Is the immaculate beauty of that metro station a Potemkin village glossing over the fear with which many Russians live? Scott Simon, NPR, 23 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Potemkin village
Noun
  • Yet in truth, Jewish fear is being used as a fig leaf for an anti-democratic agenda of mass deportations, civil rights rollbacks and attacks on higher education.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
  • In this context, elections would allow the generals to cover their 2021 power grab with a fig leaf of legitimacy.
    Tharaphi Than, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The screens also aim at these creative pros; while not as advanced as the Swift Edge’s screen, these are still 14.5-inch 1800p OLED panels.
    Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 16 May 2025
  • Adapted for the screen by Nathan Elston (Succession), the film is being produced by Atomic Monster/Blumhouse in association with Malerman’s Spin a Black Yarn.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • Irina Shayk From her shield shades and dad shoes combo to her roster of red carpet dresses, Shayk is owning Cannes—even without a film to promote.
    Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 16 May 2025
  • With the shield, the second primary mechanic comes into play: parrying.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • Research from the Psychological Review shows that overconfidence distorts forecasting and blinds leaders to systemic risks—even when solid data is available.
    Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Don’t worry about purchasing special materials — hunting blinds can be as simple as a cardboard box or a towel draped over a dining chair.
    The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Potemkin village.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Potemkin%20village. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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