curtain 1 of 2

noun

ˈkər-tᵊn How to pronounce curtain (audio)
Definition of curtainnext
1
as in veil
something that covers or conceals like a piece of cloth there has long been a curtain of secrecy surrounding that group

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in drapes
curtains plural pieces of cloth hung to darken, decorate, or divide a room the kittens keep climbing the curtains

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3
as in sleep
curtains plural the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities it'll be curtains for us if we're caught

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

curtain

2 of 2

verb

as in to hide
to keep secret or shut off from view she dropped her head in shame and curtained her face with her hair

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 curtain
Noun
Upstairs, airy, uncluttered rooms contain pink marble tables, traditional Chinese wooden doors and maritime-blue curtains. — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026 Try tailored neutral floor-to-ceiling linen curtains or a simple Roman shade instead. — Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 18 July 2026
Verb
No blackout curtains or losing the cues of your outside environment. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 1 June 2026 Floor-to-ceiling windows let in lots of natural light, the blackout curtains work well, and the beds are both supportive and plush. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for curtain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curtain
  1. veil
  2. sleep
  3. hide
  4. shroud
  5. doom
  6. conceal
  7. cloak
  8. passing
Noun
  • For her wedding look, the singer wore a Victorian-style gown with a traditional veil and styled her hair half-up, half-down.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
  • Phoebe wore an ethereal veil in her blonde hair, which was styled in a half-up, half-down hairdo with bouncy curls.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 28 July 2026
Definition of veil
Noun
  • The advisers voted 7-6 against including the sleep-inducing peptide emideltide.
    — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • According to a 2021 study in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, 3% of kids aged 13-15 who consumed a low amount of caffeine got less than six hours of sleep a night.
    — Alex Sundby, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Definition of sleep
Verb
  • The officers also have drones and helicopters equipped to track people hiding in the dark.
    — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • Here, cocktails, snacks, and afternoon tea are served daily and make for a great little spot to hide out from the heavy heat of the day.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026
Definition of hide
Noun
  • The trauma would remain buried beneath a heavy shroud of silence and shame, resurfacing only decades later—almost violently breaking through—during a hypnosis session.
    — Olivier Bouchara, Vanity Fair, 24 July 2026
  • Like Penelope’s shroud, it is woven and unwoven, always becoming, never complete.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 July 2026
Definition of shroud
Noun
  • The result, broken up into seasons and marked by an impending sense of doom, is a multipart puzzle box as intricately folded and tucked as the traditional clothing on display.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
  • The head-spinning shift has sparked a continuum of reactions, from doom and gloom to reckless exuberance.
    — Rochelle Blease, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of doom
Verb
  • The narrator spends years assembling the truth of this death, concealed by his family, and discovers that Calcutta and Dhaka experienced those riots as mirror images of each other.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
  • The sign concealed a smaller building that was a holdout on the corner of West 34th Street and Broadway when Macy's was built in the early 1900s.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Definition of conceal
Noun
  • The new cloak is designed to accommodate arbitrary inner and outer shapes while operating omnidirectionally.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 July 2026
  • Just running around wearing cloaks, slinking into and out of castles, slicing the throats of all who cross her.
    — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 27 July 2026
Definition of cloak
Noun
  • Adding to the stock's downturn is uncertainty around the passing of the Clarity Act — which aims to define regulations within the crypto industry.
    — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The reported passing of Canfield has also been cited as a significant factor in the company’s decline, underscoring how dependent the venture may have been on a single individual.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of passing

Phrases Containing curtain

Browse Nearby Words

curtails
curtain
curtained
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Cite this Entry

“Curtain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curtain. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on curtain

Nglish: Translation of curtain for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about curtain

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