window dressing

noun

1
: the display of merchandise in a retail store window
2
a
: the act or an instance of making something appear deceptively attractive or favorable
b
: something used to create a deceptively favorable or attractive impression
window-dress transitive verb
window dresser noun

Examples of window dressing in a Sentence

These changes are being made for a good reason. They're not just window dressing. the crime-does-not-pay moralizing is just window dressing for nasty hard-boiled stories
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Events like these aren’t window dressing—they’re deal flow engines. Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 To recreate the rickety window dressing, construct a frame of white lattice strips, cut boards from veneer paneling, then staple them at angles into the frame. Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025 Whether inside posh beachside resorts or cool urban havens, these stores are not merely window dressing. Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for window dressing

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of window dressing was in 1850

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Cite this Entry

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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