disguise 1 of 2

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

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
Anyone expecting a quick concession by the EU to equalize tariffs is likely to be disappointed, because Trump has said Europe has imposed an unfair regime on U.S. imports because of its use of subtle disguises known as non-tariff barriers. Neil Winton, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025 That the four central characters don disguises, along with the revelers who have been required to come costumed, propels the plot, as well as adds a note of Shakespearean carnivalesque. Elizabeth Toohey, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
Here are three reasons why people, often unwittingly, stop growing in relationships — reasons that often disguise themselves as love, connection or stability, but may quietly be holding you back. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025 The most potentially dangerous sabotage operations have involved incendiary devices disguised as innocent packages. Tomas Dapkus, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disguise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disguise
Noun
  • After completing his education, Yi Ming worked as a film and TV stylist, fitting and styling costumes and clothes for actors.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Set and costume designer Tony Walton was married to Julie Andrews and was the magic behind some of the biggest shows on Broadway.
    Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Cybercriminals Cyber threat opportunism takes many guises, from ransomware actors leveraging media interest in Elon Musk and DOGE to launch a trillion-dollar attack, to physical attackers using shoulder-surfing techniques to steal your phone and access the data contained within.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Leavitt uses the individual stories to showcase Ukrainian resilience and resistance—themes that appear in many guises, including grassroots relief efforts.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • All Radiant Concealer True to the IT Cosmetics ethos, this concealer blends skincare with makeup, serving as a multivitamin serum while camouflaging all day sans creases or cracks.
    Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • In need of an everyday uniform, Pulitzer asked her dressmaker for something to camouflage splashes of citrus juice.
    Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Seiders, 44, is charged with felony child pornography possession, misdemeanor annoying a child under 18, concealing a camera with intent to invade privacy and attempting to conceal a camera.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Spectators got wind of the sensible footwear concealed by the Fiesta finery and began demanding to see the shoes.
    Jill Robbins, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Allure commerce editor Sarah Han is a fan of this overnight mask.
    Annie Blackman, Allure, 21 Apr. 2025
  • This 7-pack comes with simple-to-use sheet masks made with natural ingredients to keep skin feeling soft and calm.
    Jacquelyn Smith, Parents, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The winds also pried off chunks of buildings’ facades.
    Amal Elawady, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2025
  • There’s a tumble of XXL petals on the facade of this nine-level, 40,000-square-foot building, which since November has been home to 180 employees, including an eight-strong prototyping team.
    Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Unfortunately, the cause of the odor is often hidden.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Liv is forced to break up with her human fiancé, Major (Robert Buckley) to avoid infecting him, and becomes estranged from her best friend and roommate Peyton (Aly Michalka), hiding her new zombie nature from both.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In this natural-color scene, thick smoke obscures the fire’s mark on the land below.
    Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Molina writes in pulse-like scenes, and each vignette thickens the novel’s uneasy atmosphere, obscuring our conception of place and, eventually, our conception of what’s real.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disguise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disguise. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

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