1
as in dresses
clothing chosen as appropriate for a specific situation
a tuxedo is the only acceptable costume for men attending a formal event
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in masks
clothing put on to hide one's true identity or imitate someone or something else
Halloween costumes that caricature some of the "celebrities" created by the media over the past year
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in clothes
to outfit with clothes and especially fine or special clothes
the days when people, costumed in their Sunday best, would parade along the grand avenue on Easter
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of costumes
Audrey Noble, Vogue, 9 May 2026
Barranquilla, Colombia — Surrounded by rows of costumes, reggaeton superstar J Balvin fuels up in his dressing room as thousands of people in the coastal Colombian city of Barranquilla wait outside for his raucous five-hour live performance to begin.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Edith Head, who would go on to win countless Oscars for her costumes, wanted my mother to come out to LA and make movies with her.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
Inhabiting history 🗣️ For reenactors and interpreters, bringing historic figures to life is more than dressing in period costumes and weekend cosplay.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Then the next year, there were Rip and Beth costumes at the store for Halloween.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Where other A-list acts take a more-is-more approach with lavish setups and dazzling costumes, Eilish keeps her act deceptively modest.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026
In addition to being a great, weird rock band, Devo is also a multimedia art project, complete with costumes, and an ongoing social critique.
—Michael Tedder, SPIN, 5 May 2026
Upstairs, in the bubble gum-pink Powder Room, Shahniani keeps his drag costumes, made by his favorite dressmaker, Kelsey Swarthout, who uses upcycled Disney sheets in her designs.
—Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
To make that medicine go down easier, RAYE costumes her fatalism in a baroque maximalism.
—Boutayna Chokrane, Pitchfork, 2 Apr. 2026
It is celebrated with a ceremonious parade that features a cavalcade of men dressed in Roman soldier costumes, evoking a sense of solemn thanksgiving and spiritual devotion.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
The room houses costumes for performances for the entire year, and there are about 40 years of costumes in the room.
—Najahe Sherman, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
The company brought its famous mascot — the beloved Morton Salt Girl, who every year inspires who knows how many Halloween costumes.
—Kansas City Star, 13 Nov. 2025
Those costumes from the original Broadway production, including the Schuyler sisters’ winter ball gowns, Hamilton, Jefferson and Burr’s suits, as well as King George’s outfit, are all featured among the exhibit, too.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Here are five tips for creating last-minute DIY KPop Demon Hunters Halloween costumes.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Party City Halloween costumes 2025 Customers can shop for the family or office party in a few clicks and have orders delivered through DoorDash.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
Using four Whitney Houston pop culture moments as a reference point, the team reimagined four new costumes for Ellie to wear during the half-time show.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 9 May 2026
Barranquilla, Colombia — Surrounded by rows of costumes, reggaeton superstar J Balvin fuels up in his dressing room as thousands of people in the coastal Colombian city of Barranquilla wait outside for his raucous five-hour live performance to begin.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Edith Head, who would go on to win countless Oscars for her costumes, wanted my mother to come out to LA and make movies with her.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
Inhabiting history 🗣️ For reenactors and interpreters, bringing historic figures to life is more than dressing in period costumes and weekend cosplay.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Then the next year, there were Rip and Beth costumes at the store for Halloween.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Where other A-list acts take a more-is-more approach with lavish setups and dazzling costumes, Eilish keeps her act deceptively modest.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026
In addition to being a great, weird rock band, Devo is also a multimedia art project, complete with costumes, and an ongoing social critique.
—Michael Tedder, SPIN, 5 May 2026
Upstairs, in the bubble gum-pink Powder Room, Shahniani keeps his drag costumes, made by his favorite dressmaker, Kelsey Swarthout, who uses upcycled Disney sheets in her designs.
—Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Verb
The same girls who’d posted winking pop-culture-reference couples Halloween costumes a few years ago were now posting their toddlers in their own pop-culture-reference costumes.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
To make that medicine go down easier, RAYE costumes her fatalism in a baroque maximalism.
—Boutayna Chokrane, Pitchfork, 2 Apr. 2026
It is celebrated with a ceremonious parade that features a cavalcade of men dressed in Roman soldier costumes, evoking a sense of solemn thanksgiving and spiritual devotion.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
The room houses costumes for performances for the entire year, and there are about 40 years of costumes in the room.
—Najahe Sherman, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
The company brought its famous mascot — the beloved Morton Salt Girl, who every year inspires who knows how many Halloween costumes.
—Kansas City Star, 13 Nov. 2025
Those costumes from the original Broadway production, including the Schuyler sisters’ winter ball gowns, Hamilton, Jefferson and Burr’s suits, as well as King George’s outfit, are all featured among the exhibit, too.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Here are five tips for creating last-minute DIY KPop Demon Hunters Halloween costumes.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Party City Halloween costumes 2025 Customers can shop for the family or office party in a few clicks and have orders delivered through DoorDash.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for costumes
Noun
-
People are mostly casual in shorts, sandals, vests, and tees at breakfast, but are more done-up at night in dresses, shirts, and trousers for 1818, the rooftop bar.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
-
Given her line of work, skirts and dresses are not part of her everyday wardrobe rotation.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
There were no gloves, no masks in sight –– nothing to separate workers skin from corrosive substances or their lungs from the fumes.—
Ayushi Shah,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
-
When inside, Hattuta said everyone wears masks and keeps a safe distance from each other.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Similar to the designer style, this bag has a suede finish, giving it a polished look that pairs well with both casual and dressier outfits.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
-
The Cannes Film Festival updated its dress code in 2025, prohibiting guests from showing nudity or wearing voluminous outfits on the red carpet.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Costumes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/costumes. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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