guise

1
2
as in costume
clothing chosen as appropriate for a specific situation she felt as though she should be wearing some sort of Germanic guise, complete with dirndl, for the fall festival featuring traditional German food and drink

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in mask
clothing put on to hide one's true identity or imitate someone or something else he sneaked into the castle to rescue Ivanhoe in the guise of a priest coming to give Ivanhoe his last rites

Synonyms & Similar Words

4

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 guise In addition to using the guise of filmmaking to dupe one victim, another individual was told funds handed to Brown were for real estate investments. Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025 This is a gentle way to alert him to the certificate situation, while legitimately veiling it under the more polite guise that your concern is really about her health. Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025 Bad actors can take on all kinds of guises—including pretending to be lawyers. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025 Universities selling out to Trump under guise of antisemitism crackdown? The Hill, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for guise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guise
Noun
  • But at least those entities are populated by people who are curious about art and culture—these OFFLINE events have no such pretense.
    Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Gregory and Gerner were arrested and charged with felony counts of injury to an energy facility and felony counts of obtaining property by false pretense, deputies said.
    Paloma Chavez, Charlotte Observer, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Burnett’s out-of-costume persona—approachable, winning, game—earned her a kind of good will with audiences that her zany sketch material alone might not have.
    Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Variety will also present its fourth annual 10 Artisans to Watch honorees at the festival, recognizing standout artists across cinematography, costume design, editing, hair and makeup, production design, sound editing/design and visual effects.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The eye mask is offered in seven colors, feels cool to touch, and is machine washable for easy care.
    L. Daniela Alvarez, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Her namesake line — best known for its colostrum mask — and signature microcurrent treatment deliver facelift-like results, no scalpel required.
    Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Stewart made three appearances on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City last week and joined the Dodgers in Arizona for the series against the Diamondbacks.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Slaten entered Friday having pitched in the seventh inning or later in 32 of his 35 appearances this season.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The concrete steps and ramp will be demolished, but the building's exterior facade will remain.
    La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Derry, Maine, may have the facade of a quaint, picturesque town, but with Pennywise lurking below, its residents would likely argue otherwise.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • While accepting Spain’s National Film Award at the festival on September 20, veteran actor Eduard Fernández wore a Keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian garb, and spoke at length about Gaza.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Combs, 55, appeared in light-colored prison garb and was sporting a fuller salt-and-pepper beard.
    Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In addition, some organisms use ant mimicry as camouflage to infiltrate ant colonies.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2025
  • By contrast, Taylor put a spin on camouflage, wearing a piece from KidSuper’s fall 2025 collection, which made its runway debut in January curated by the brand’s founder Colm Dillane.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Great Again hats and T-shirts emblazoned with Kirk’s face, ignored the registration queries and continued chatting with friends.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
  • All of that plus an injury to Tyler Herro and four new faces on the Heat’s standard roster has coach Erik Spoelstra and his staff with plenty to figure out.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Guise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guise. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

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