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 Only Alain seems eager to ignore the disinformation and embrace this Potemkin village as the real deal (except when his eyes show a gathering concern). Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Potemkin village
Noun
  • Critics have long contended that the position amounted to little more than a fig leaf, albeit one that still managed to occupy a few seats at the national policy-making table.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 29 May 2025
  • Trump’s cryptocurrency ventures are nothing more than a fig leaf for pay offs from foreign nationals.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • The city states that humans should never feed wild animals; residents should cover gardens, window wells, home foundations and chimneys or fireplaces with screens; and store garbage safely so animals cannot get to it.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 1 July 2025
  • The celebrated Scottish film and screen actor, who was regarded as one of the brightest lights of his generation, died at the age of 40 from AIDS in 1990, and asked that the cause of his death be publicized to promote awareness and acceptance of the illness.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • Sprinkle topping on top of pie; shield edges of piecrust to prevent excess browning.
    Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 3 July 2025
  • This five-layer sun shield blocks heat from the Sun, Earth and even the Moon, helping Webb stay incredibly cold: around -370 degrees F (-223 degrees C).
    Adi Foord, The Conversation, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • Other key features include a Sonos surround system and Lutron automatic blinds throughout, plus raised garden beds set alongside an irrigated yard and plants.
    Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 8 July 2025
  • In the early-dinner hours, before nightfall, white slashes of sunlight slip through cracks in the horizontal blinds and play through the dusky interior like a laser show.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 6 July 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 15 Jul. 2025.

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