1
as in facades
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
he allowed himself to dine at fine restaurants all over the world under the guise of research for his book on international cuisine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in costumes
clothing chosen as appropriate for a specific situation
she felt as though she should be wearing some sort of Germanic guise, complete with dirndl, for the fall festival featuring traditional German food and drink
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in masks
clothing put on to hide one's true identity or imitate someone or something else
he sneaked into the castle to rescue Ivanhoe in the guise of a priest coming to give Ivanhoe his last rites
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in appearances
outward and often deceptive indication
hazing rituals may have the guise of harmless fun, but often the reality is serious physical abuse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guises
By the time my story about him was published in the November 2023 issue of Vanity Fair, Aryeh Dodelson, and all of his guises, had disappeared from the face of the earth.
—
Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 3 Apr. 2026
In its many guises, idolatry has survived, despite regular and often cataclysmic proof of its dangers, for centuries and many people will consider a much-larger-than-life golden statue of a president to be perfectly splendid.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
But sometimes the squashing of speech can appear in other guises.
—Andrea Valdez, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
This moment will come in many guises.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Both marques returned to the competition this year in new guises.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2026
Virtuosity, on this program, also came in subtler and more avant-garde guises.
—Rachel Howard, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Jan. 2026
Populism in all its guises surfaces problems but rarely solves them.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Bad actors can take on all kinds of guises—including pretending to be lawyers.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 3 Apr. 2026
In its many guises, idolatry has survived, despite regular and often cataclysmic proof of its dangers, for centuries and many people will consider a much-larger-than-life golden statue of a president to be perfectly splendid.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
But sometimes the squashing of speech can appear in other guises.
—Andrea Valdez, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
This moment will come in many guises.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Both marques returned to the competition this year in new guises.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2026
Virtuosity, on this program, also came in subtler and more avant-garde guises.
—Rachel Howard, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Jan. 2026
Populism in all its guises surfaces problems but rarely solves them.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Bad actors can take on all kinds of guises—including pretending to be lawyers.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guises
Noun
-
Like the ongoing Destination Crenshaw initiative, Destination Market Street aims to renovate business facades and add more parking, outdoor seating, pedestrian lighting and enhanced landscaping.—
Angela Osorio,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The land recreates Arendelle around a lagoon, its timber buildings painted in muted Scandinavian pastels, facades adorned with rosemaling, a traditional Norwegian decorative art.—
Thomas Adamson,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Chloe Lamford is set designer, Georgia McGuinness is designing costumes, Jon Clark is on lighting and Will Stuart is composing the score.—
Ryan Brennan
April 3,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The person hired to fabricate these cute animal costumes was Bill Scollon.—
John Haddad,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Surveillance footage showed Angel-Martinez, Castillo and Pineda getting out of their vehicle wearing masks and holding guns, according to court documents.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Use hair masks or natural hair oil to keep hair color shiny and vibrant.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Caissie struggled a bit to start spring training, logging just one hit with six strikeouts in nine plate appearances before leaving for the tournament.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Twenty-three plate appearances with a runner on second or third base produced two hits.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And Trump, of course, is not—despite his pretenses otherwise—the sole decider here.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The adults were arrested on suspicion of theft from an elder, theft by false pretenses, conspiracy, contracting without a license and other offenses.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For more of the best deals in Nordstrom’s sale, check out our favorite dresses, shorts, jeans, skirts, lounge pants, and more below.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
-
No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The reality series on Fox, which sees celebrity contestants don over-the-top disguises and compete karaoke-style, crowned it's champion Wednesday, April 1.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Certain menu items, though, feel like fan favorites made to wear cumbersome disguises, while entrees outside of the burger don’t always feel as essential as the smaller plates.—
Cesar Hernandez,
San Francisco Chronicle,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
All in our faces, the children say.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
-
All other Heat players are listed as available for Saturday, other than Terry Rozier, who remains on NBA leave as faces federal charges in the wake of the FBI gambling investigation.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Guises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guises. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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