guises

plural of guise
1
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

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 guises Throughout the weekend, Dudamel embraced the worlds of Hollywood, Latin music in many guises and old-fashioned rock. Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 With their traditional, legacy rivals — the Manchester clubs, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur — in various guises of transition, Arsenal are suddenly the team to beat and the Emirates is suddenly a library of sound; noise please. George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Somewhere between a sandal and a ballet flat, caged silhouettes come in all manner of guises. Sarah Leigh Bannerman, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026 Opponents of affirmative action, who suspect that the process is still continuing under other guises, could seek to replicate the winning strategy of the Harvard and UNC cases, if testing data show large, unexplainable gaps in academic preparation among different student groups. Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026 Dwayne Johnson is a confident guy and has donned any number of ridiculous guises during his Saturday Night Live hosting gigs over the years. Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026 Over the years, audiences have seen the Negotiator under many guises, like a martial arts expert, a cowboy, and even a mariachi musician. Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026 Farage has been through various guises. Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 8 May 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guises
Noun
  • The changing colors in Blue Sea Sky draw inspiration from its surroundings, including the blue ocean waters, green palm fronds, orange sunsets, and pink Art Deco neon facades.
    Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The color palette is said to have been inspired by the lagoon and mixed with inspiration from Venice’s marble facades, plasterwork and architecture through the use of celadon greens, soft blues, terracotta, ochre and powder pink.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Boardrooms filled with people other than just white men often make better decisions about advertising copy and Halloween costumes.
    Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Inside, visitors will find a significant slice of Lucas’ private collection, amassed over five decades and spanning art, costumes, movie props and memorabilia, with more than 1,300 objects currently displayed across 30 galleries.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The company does topical political protest shows using music, acting, masks, puppets and community spirit.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Matching silk sleep masks help block out light, and silk bonnets are designed to help protect hair from breakage and frizz while locking in natural oils.
    ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • In 573 plate appearances, William Contreras has hit 14 long balls, tallied 74 RBIs and scored 73 runs.
    Data Skrive, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The doc follows Oasis across 12 concerts on three continents during their Live ’25 tour, the band’s first live appearances since their acrimonious split back in 2009.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The strategic mistake of invading Iraq on false pretenses was then compounded by tactical errors.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Johnson created the story of Nancy (Emilia Jones), who is not a girlfriend, but a crush who Bourdain foolhardily (and under false pretenses) follows to Provincetown after not getting a writing fellowship.
    Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The minimalist shape pairs well with jeans, loungewear, and even dresses.
    Kaitlin Gates, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Bra bands that dig in and have minimal side coverage can create bulges under your tops and dresses, but this under-$20 Warners style does the opposite, according to shoppers.
    Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The thieves wore no disguises or face coverings according to a report by Vienna’s police department.
    News Desk, Artforum, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Fagnano was able to diagnose some of the disguises from Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores, finding soft spots in zone coverages both in the short and intermediate areas of the field.
    Daniel Popper, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Now the extraordinary, blossoming Matisse faces in the direction of the original site for which it was designed, like a living memory.
    George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The nocturnal parrots with their owl-like faces remain critically endangered, conservationists say.
    Adela Suliman, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Guises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guises. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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