disguise 1 of 2

Definition of disguisenext

disguise

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disguise differ from other similar words?

The words cloak and mask are common synonyms of disguise. While all three words mean "to alter the dress or appearance of so as to conceal the identity or true nature," disguise implies a change in appearance or behavior that misleads by presenting a different apparent identity.

disguised herself as a peasant

When is cloak a more appropriate choice than disguise?

The words cloak and disguise are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cloak suggests a means of hiding a movement or an intention.

cloaked their maneuvers in secrecy

When might mask be a better fit than disguise?

The synonyms mask and disguise are sometimes interchangeable, but mask suggests some often obvious means of hiding or disguising something.

smiling to mask his discontent

How does the verb disguise differ from other similar words?

The words cloak and mask are common synonyms of disguise. While all three words mean "to alter the dress or appearance of so as to conceal the identity or true nature," disguise implies a change in appearance or behavior that misleads by presenting a different apparent identity.

disguised herself as a peasant

When is cloak a more appropriate choice than disguise?

The words cloak and disguise are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cloak suggests a means of hiding a movement or an intention.

cloaked their maneuvers in secrecy

When might mask be a better fit than disguise?

The synonyms mask and disguise are sometimes interchangeable, but mask suggests some often obvious means of hiding or disguising something.

smiling to mask his discontent

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 disguise
Noun
However, the on-screen adaptation didn't quite make the connection for the character's uncanny disguise. Sara Belcher, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026 Santat’s illustrations begin with straightforward, muted sincerity and become brighter, busier, and more gleeful—filling every corner of the page—as Sharpson’s narrator becomes ever more unhinged, ranting about fish spies, fish disguises, and fish taking over the world. Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
The Miami Hurricanes blitzed him a lot (60 pass-rush snaps), and Scott honed this skill, learning how to disguise and time up blitzes. Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026 Prosecutors say the gunman, disguised as a police officer, began his rampage by shooting Hoffman and his wife, then stopped at the residences of two other lawmakers who weren't home. ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disguise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disguise
Noun
  • On Saturday afternoon, someone dressed as the Christian messiah was among the dozens of people in costumes and masks seen on a video forcing open the door of a Scientology building on Hollywood Boulevard after a tug-of-war with a security guard.
    James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Their parents would come and look at the costumes and buildings in horror.
    Marta Balaga, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • During the partisan press era in the United States, news organizations aligned themselves politically and presented news from a specific partisan point of view, without the guise of objectivity.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Then, in the late nineteenth century, the mandolin experienced a second flowering, albeit in a different guise.
    Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • With a gaping leg wound and an infection creeping in, Peeta paints himself to camouflage into the stream's bed of rocks, where Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) ultimately finds him.
    Sara Belcher, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Don't Overlook the Finish For a novice home painter, going with a flat finish will afford the most forgiveness, camouflaging imperfections rather than drawing the eye to them.
    Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The indictment follows a probe by House Republicans into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic that scrutinized Morens’ email communications and accused him of intentionally concealing records.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Police found the device concealed in the vehicle’s wheel well before the investigation was turned over to the department’s Detective Bureau, Podgorski said.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • One was dressed in a prison uniform, wearing a Hegseth mask and red gloves.
    Collin Binkley, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Since the injury, goalie masks changed to include a piece of protection that was attached; the masks now extend to cover a wider portion to ensure that what happened to Malarchuk would not occur again.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • While Metcalf’s Linda adopts a facade of stoicism to shield her family from the grief erupting in her, Abbott’s Biff is forced to reveal the broken man behind the defiant veneer.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The southern façade, for instance, is entirely solid—no windows, no openings—to shield the interior from the most brutal solar rays.
    Nick Mafi, Architectural Digest, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The rookie center fielder didn’t bother to hide his delight, jumping and shouting in celebration.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Carie Hallford was sentenced to 30 years for her role in a scheme that involved hiding nearly 200 decomposing bodies.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • But what exactly happens to these baby stars next isn't always clear (literally) because they are buried deep within clouds of dark, dusty gas that obscure them.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 28 Apr. 2026
  • All of that mythology, though, can obscure the real story.
    Jimmy Jellinek, SPIN, 27 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disguise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disguise. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.

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