disguise 1 of 2

disguise

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disguise differ from other similar words?

The words cloak and mask are common synonyms of disguise. While all three words mean "to alter the dress or appearance of so as to conceal the identity or true nature," disguise implies a change in appearance or behavior that misleads by presenting a different apparent identity.

disguised herself as a peasant

When is cloak a more appropriate choice than disguise?

The words cloak and disguise are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cloak suggests a means of hiding a movement or an intention.

cloaked their maneuvers in secrecy

When might mask be a better fit than disguise?

The synonyms mask and disguise are sometimes interchangeable, but mask suggests some often obvious means of hiding or disguising something.

smiling to mask his discontent

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 disguise
Noun
The Forgotten Gender Nonconformists of the Old West Livia Gershon April 27, 2018 In the Old West, cross-dressing was sometimes a disguise for criminals on the lam. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 30 May 2025 He’s heard the sale rumors but somehow isn’t perceptive enough to see through the semi-ambulatory Griffin’s disguise. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 21 May 2025
Verb
From there, Caguioa disguises the fractures using elastomeric caulking dusted with sand to replicate the appearance of the original concrete. Paul Nicolaus, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2025 But no: Odell’s tome is actually an art book disguised as a self-help book. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 21 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for disguise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disguise
Noun
  • Every cobbled lane was blocked by revelers crowded outside the bars, all wearing white-and-red fiesta costumes.
    Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 June 2025
  • Unfolding against the backdrop of SCAD’s campus in the hilltop village of Lacoste in the Luberon Valley, honorees included actor Toby Jones, director Stephen Frears, screenwriter Christopher Hampton and James Bond and Harry Potter costume designer Jany Temime.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • The addition of countries such as Egypt and Ethiopia has meant that BRICS has increasingly taken on the guise of the Global South forum.
    Jorge Heine, The Conversation, 7 July 2025
  • Purified and reclaimed, these guises can take their place next to the other parts of her ever-expanding self-myth.
    Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • So ranked-choice voting was implemented as a stop-loss remedy — a move to camouflage the practices of an industry devoted to meretricious, often nihilistic entertainments.
    Armond White, National Review, 27 June 2025
  • That shaft was later concealed and camouflaged, more recent imagery also shows.
    Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • Speculation online has included allegations that the federal government was concealing information to shield powerful and prominent figures who were allegedly named in case records.
    Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 11 July 2025
  • Meanwhile, her makeup turned more matte with concealed under eyes like at The Blonds Fall 2014 show.
    India Espy-Jones, Essence, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • For now, the line between person and program is still visible—most of us can see the code beneath the mask.
    Paul Bloom, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
  • Some argue the system masks true performance and fails to show the public that many students are struggling to master key academic subjects.
    Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2025
Noun
  • After arriving, fire crews reported that parts of the facade and some of the parapet separated from the parking garage, sending bricks crashing to the sidewalk and street below, Nolan said.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2025
  • The narrow cobblestone street cuts through the city’s Old Town toward the waterfront and abuts the eastern facade of Diocletian’s Palace, an ancient Roman fortress built about 1,700 years ago.
    Aspen Pflughoeft July 9, Miami Herald, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • Such a deal is not going to bring about North Korea’s denuclearization, of course, and Pyongyang will likely attempt to cheat by hiding some of its nuclear facilities.
    ANDREI LANKOV, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2025
  • Keep scrolling for more impressive Prime Day deals on hidden camera detectors hiding throughout the site, starting at $24.
    Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • But this fake overlay simply obscures the app as it is being attacked in the background.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
  • Solar flares and solar wind can disrupt Earth's atmosphere, creating disturbances that could obscure the comets and make the meteor showers harder to see.
    Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disguise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disguise. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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