1
as in facades
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
he allowed himself to dine at fine restaurants all over the world under the guise of research for his book on international cuisine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in costumes
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 masks
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
as in appearances
outward and often deceptive indication
hazing rituals may have the guise of harmless fun, but often the reality is serious physical abuse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guises
Farage has been through various guises.
—
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
These projects reveal the evil lurking underneath the guises of killers who were so often hiding in plain sight.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
By the time my story about him was published in the November 2023 issue of Vanity Fair, Aryeh Dodelson, and all of his guises, had disappeared from the face of the earth.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 3 Apr. 2026
In its many guises, idolatry has survived, despite regular and often cataclysmic proof of its dangers, for centuries and many people will consider a much-larger-than-life golden statue of a president to be perfectly splendid.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
But sometimes the squashing of speech can appear in other guises.
—Andrea Valdez, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
This moment will come in many guises.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Both marques returned to the competition this year in new guises.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2026
Virtuosity, on this program, also came in subtler and more avant-garde guises.
—Rachel Howard, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Jan. 2026
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
These projects reveal the evil lurking underneath the guises of killers who were so often hiding in plain sight.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
By the time my story about him was published in the November 2023 issue of Vanity Fair, Aryeh Dodelson, and all of his guises, had disappeared from the face of the earth.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 3 Apr. 2026
In its many guises, idolatry has survived, despite regular and often cataclysmic proof of its dangers, for centuries and many people will consider a much-larger-than-life golden statue of a president to be perfectly splendid.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
But sometimes the squashing of speech can appear in other guises.
—Andrea Valdez, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
This moment will come in many guises.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Both marques returned to the competition this year in new guises.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2026
Virtuosity, on this program, also came in subtler and more avant-garde guises.
—Rachel Howard, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guises
Noun
-
Historic preservation is often dismissed as nostalgia, the hobby of people who prefer old facades to modern needs.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
6 May 2026
-
But the school occupies its own campus, Schwarzman College, modeled on the individual venues at Harvard and Oxford, boasting their own historic facades, where students live and dine.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
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
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
-
Stephen Eustáquio notched his third assist in seven appearances on Ordaz’s second goal, and Jacob Shaffelburg picked up his second in five outings this season and his 15th in 134 appearances.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
After a 23-43 season in his first season, Jackson leads the Warriors to back-to-back playoff appearances with 47 and 51 wins but was fired amid a backdrop of friction with management (including team advisor Jerry West) and fostering a poor work environment.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
According to evidence presented at trial, Zhu and his associates imported cheap COVID-19 tests from China, then repackaged and resold them under false pretenses.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
Maybe Thalia had come to Gilead under false pretenses and gotten caught.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Loose-fitting options—like A-line dresses, wide-leg pants and tops with relaxed armholes—help minimize skin-on-skin contact and allow airflow.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
6 May 2026
-
The exhibit included a quartet of dresses, which included pieces that had been recently worn by Queen Mathilde of Belgium, her eldest daughter and heir apparent Princess Elisabeth, as well as Queen Maxima.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
As a new free safety in Spagnuolo’s defense, Gilman is beginning to understand the importance of communication and alignment, which allow the Chiefs’ pre-snap disguises to work.—
Pete Sweeney
May 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 May 2026
-
Grass and turf disguises can be tricky to spot, the captain said.—
Taylor Galgano,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
But sheep can tell human faces apart.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Some demonstrators got in several lawmakers' faces.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Guises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guises. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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