fig leaf

Definition of fig leafnext

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 fig leaf New Zealand Christmas trees, fig leaf plants and paspalum grass accent the outdoor living space. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025 His leadership team began weighing whether to offer Democrats a stand-alone vote on the expiring Obamacare subsidies around a week after funding lapsed, something Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) rejected as a fig leaf. David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2025 The fig leaf conditional nature of the requirement makes little difference. Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 Nothing passed, but Democrats at least got the fig leaf of a debate. Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fig leaf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fig leaf
Noun
  • But when Microsoft built the Potemkin village that is Copilot and charged for it, well, no thank you.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • The Horned Frogs can play fast in spurts, but typically TCU uses a more deliberate pace on offense, using multiple ball screens to create the right look for Miles or her teammates.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Zacha won a puck battle and sent it out high to McAvoy, whose 11th goal of the season when through an Arvidsson screen and eluded Greaves.
    Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The agency determined that gases that built up in the shield’s outer material did not vent properly, allowing pressure to accumulate.
    Denise Chow, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2026
  • And, often times, a shield who absorbed the criticism for the DeVos family.
    Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Setting decoys, crafting a blind and getting ready to hunt together, Crowson and I were in our element.
    Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 18 Dec. 2025
  • Why don’t small-town police ever close their interrogation-room blinds?
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fig leaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fig%20leaf. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

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