window dressing

noun

Synonyms of window dressingnext
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
ˈwin-dō-ˌdres How to pronounce window dressing (audio)
transitive verb
window dresser noun

Synonyms of window dressing

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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.
But all of that will just be window dressing. — Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 11 June 2026 Unless the answer is yes, your AI tools may just be window dressing. — Vidya Plainfield, Forbes.com, 3 Feb. 2026 The scenarios were nothing more than window dressing—meant to evoke the chaotic night raids that would be our mission downrange. — Will MacKin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026 Skeptics may claim this as window dressing for strategic global ambitions. — Kerry E. Ratigan, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2026 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

Rhymes for window dressing

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Browse Nearby Words

window dresser
window dressing
windowed
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Cite this Entry

“Window dressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/window%20dressing. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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