window dressing

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 The series is still going strong thanks to numerous sequels and a spinoff, wading into such over-the-top territory that the initial street racing conceit is now little more than window dressing. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2025 Trappings like solar panels on the Vatican roof and an all-electric Popemobile aren’t just green window dressing. Mike Burbach, Twin Cities, 15 Aug. 2025 The social codes of bloodless brutality cloaked in plausible deniability aren’t window dressing. Elle Carroll, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2025 Flagrant violations across diverse policy realms suggested that the order’s commitment to the rule of law was rhetorical window dressing. Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for window dressing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for window dressing
facade
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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Window dressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/window%20dressing. Accessed 27 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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