window dressing

Definition of window dressingnext
as in facade
a deceptively attractive external appearance the crime-does-not-pay moralizing is just window dressing for nasty hard-boiled stories

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 window dressing Sayeh believes the war has essentially destroyed what was left of the clerical establishment’s legitimacy and removed any window dressing suggesting the country wasn’t a de facto military dictatorship. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 June 2026 But all of that will just be window dressing. — Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 11 June 2026 Everyone else is window dressing. — Literary Hub, 21 May 2026 Those side-story quests are always guaranteed to be different narrative window dressings on time trials. — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for window dressing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for window dressing
facade
Noun
  • Lourdes Bishop Jean-Marc Micas in 2025 decided to cover the facade of the Notre Dame du Rosaire Basilica, reasoning that abuse victims who come to Lourdes for healing shouldn’t be forced to see them.
    — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Lourdes Bishop Jean-Marc Micas in 2025 decided cover the façade of the Notre Dame du Rosaire Basilica, reasoning that abuse victims who come to Lourdes for healing shouldn’t be forced to see them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Window dressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/window%20dressing. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!