guises

plural of guise
1
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

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 guises 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 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 Opponents of affirmative action, who suspect that the process is still continuing under other guises, could seek to replicate the winning strategy of the Harvard and UNC cases, if testing data show large, unexplainable gaps in academic preparation among different student groups. — Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026 Dwayne Johnson is a confident guy and has donned any number of ridiculous guises during his Saturday Night Live hosting gigs over the years. — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026 Over the years, audiences have seen the Negotiator under many guises, like a martial arts expert, a cowboy, and even a mariachi musician. — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026 Farage has been through various guises. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 8 May 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guises
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
  • More than 70,000 police officers fanned out in Paris and other cities while stores boarded up their facades after last week’s riots.
    — Ellen Francis, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Again, these can be seamlessly slotted into consumers’ occasion dressing in a manner that typical costumes cannot.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The costumes were part of the latest episode of Thiele’s podcast In Your Dreams, with the new episode dropping at the same time as the Instagram reveal.
    — Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In addition to vaccination, Public Health recommended that residents take preventive measures such as washing their hands frequently, staying home when sick and wearing masks when experiencing symptoms.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Dozens of eclectic objects, like stone buddhas and African masks, that Comini procured from his travels, complete the treasure trove look.
    — Jaclyn DeGiorgio, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Both teams wore commemorative jersey patches honoring the late NBA coach Rick Adelman, who led the Kings to eight consecutive playoff appearances from 1998 through 2006.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The former Bellator heavyweight champion earned his 15th victory in 20 UFC appearances.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
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
  • Conference expansion has shattered pretenses to regional coherence.
    — Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Guests have serious style credentials—from billowy silk Kalita dresses to bodycon Cult Gaia numbers, nothing seems too glam for this place.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Elaborate veils and rigid dress codes gradually gave way to more personal expressions of grief, while black dresses and tailoring became enduring wardrobe staples.
    — Livia Caligor, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Authorities at the Villages denied him access, and the shoot required him to dodge security guards, charm subjects, and occasionally adopt disguises.
    — Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
  • More than historical curiosities, such stories reveal how elaborate disguises can become necessary as a means of survival in a world that denies people the freedom to be themselves — both historically and today.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The women wore maroon unitards with subtle puffed sleeves, while Danchig-Waring’s tank unitard featured two faces in profile, each hugging a side of his waist.
    — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Lake Mead and Lake Powell are the visible faces of the Southwest’s critical water problem, as the Colorado River — which supplies water to nearly 40 million people — shrinks due to a combination of climate change and human demand.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Guises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guises. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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