GUISE Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

guise

noun

ˈgīz

Definition of guise

as in pretense

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

as in costume

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

as in mask

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

as in appearance

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

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 guise Throughout the weekend, Dudamel embraced the worlds of Hollywood, Latin music in many guises and old-fashioned rock. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 With their traditional, legacy rivals — the Manchester clubs, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur — in various guises of transition, Arsenal are suddenly the team to beat and the Emirates is suddenly a library of sound; noise please. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Volkswagen refers to the Cruise as a concept, but perhaps it will be shown in near-production guise. — New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2026 Somewhere between a sandal and a ballet flat, caged silhouettes come in all manner of guises. — Sarah Leigh Bannerman, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for guise

Recent Examples of Synonyms for guise

Noun

Shirley has since visited other states in the US under similar pretenses, showing up unannounced to grocery stores and hospice centers in search of evidence of fraud.

— Mia Sato, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2026
The application moves away from last-minute stress, unwanted items, and polite pretense, establishing a modern channel for intentional giving.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of pretense

Noun

Identifying a sitter in a portrait is a tricky art-historical task that involves a study of provenance, inscriptions, archival documentation, iconographic juxtaposition, collection history, and costume and jewelry.

— Karen Chernick, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Higher prices for candy, costumes, and decorations are forcing people to get creative.

— Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of costume

Noun

City officials urged residents and visitors to stay indoors and to wear a mask outside.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Although the hockey mask never appears, Kane lovingly re-creates exact scenes from the original movie to offer flashes of eye candy to Jason fanatics.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of mask

Noun

After the fracking boom, some pipeline developers raced for market share and cut corners on siting, restoration and appearance.

— Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Counterfeit devices can copy familiar names and appearances while using entirely different hardware.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of appearance

Noun

These boutiques offer distinct expressions of each house, while their facades contribute to a streetscape with an individual character.

— Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
Framed by concrete, the glass façade reflects its surroundings as well as the sky.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of facade

Noun

Nearby is a ballet costume, from 1987, inspired by the night-club garb of the performance artist Leigh Bowery.

— Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Indeed, Cazzu’s triumphant 2025 LP, Latinaje, was both personal and pop, enriching her trap bravado with cumbia, chacareras, and the colorful garb of her native Jujuy.

— Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of garb

Noun

Martin, in a white shirt unbuttoned at the chest and loose camouflage trousers, flowed through his samba.

— Raymond Braun, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
American soldiers gather at a border monitoring post in Roma, Texas, where an infantry vehicle with camouflage netting sits between houses.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of camouflage

Noun

At Netanyahu's party headquarters, filled mainly with media, the few supporters present chanted Netanyahu's name, draping themselves in flags with his face on them and kissing posters.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
Someone else touched his face and a clean tong without washing hands between those two actions.

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of face

Browse Nearby Words

guilty

guise

guises

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Guise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guise. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of guise

noun

Example Sentences

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