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
Relevance
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
Bad actors can take on all kinds of guises—including pretending to be lawyers.
—
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guises
Noun
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The Overture Center for the Arts, whose grand architecture blends a modern glass wing with original, early 20th-century facades, houses multiple performance spaces and galleries.—
Peter Cameron,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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With their pastel-pretty facades and flower box gardens that residents tend to with utmost care, the colorful alleys of Villefranche-sur-Mer are made for impromptu Instagram shoots.—
Chrissie McClatchie,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The audience also got a look at a featurette on the making of Season 3’s costumes.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
11 Oct. 2025
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The Season 4 clip, and a behind the scenes featurette about the costumes of Season 3, can also be seen below.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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If your girlfriend is always on the go, these rose-gold foil eye masks are a lifesaver—locking in hydration so she looks refreshed in just minutes.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Glamour,
13 Oct. 2025
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Costumes of cartoon characters and puffy pigs, leopard outfits, Halloween masks and fuzzy hats.—
Suzette Hackney,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Starters Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo both pitched in relief for the first time in their major league careers, while relievers Matt Brash and Eduard Bazardo made their longest ever appearances.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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While both of her kids have largely stayed out of the spotlight, only making rare appearances to support their mom during milestone career moments, her daughter, Dexter, has praised her on Instagram over the years.—
Emily Strohm,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Harold is so clearly not a great man that his pretenses feel more like cries for help.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
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They were arraigned on Friday in Brockton District Court on one count each of larceny over $1,200 by false pretenses, embezzlement, and conspiracy.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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From sculptural silhouettes from dresses to sculpted waist jackets with a lean pencil skirt to full-on volume skirts as seen at Chanel, Alaïa and Balenciaga.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
8 Oct. 2025
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Chloé’s Chemena Kamali surprised those watching her show with a series of brightly colored floral dresses at the top of her collection — a departure from the muted, neutral tones often associated with the brand.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Defenses can also try coverage disguises — show man, then play Cover 2 to put extra defenders in the intermediate zones.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Trick-or-treaters and other participants don outfits, wigs and accessories to show off their disguises for the event.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The stars themselves are bestowed by anonymous inspectors who briefly appear on camera, but whose names, faces, and even voices are completely obscured.—
Laurie Woolever,
Rolling Stone,
11 Oct. 2025
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Capitol hallways have become an endless series of partisan scrums and press conferences where the two sides play the blame game, occasionally to each others’ faces on camera in impromptu scuffles.—
Steven T. Dennis,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Guises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guises. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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